Power Rangers: Vendian
by PowerRangersVendian
Summary: Set just after the battles of the Samurai Rangers; a powerful, icy queen, arises and starts her plan for doom and destruction in none other than Angel Grove. In order to save the world, the children of the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers must team up or risk losing everything. But they can't do it alone...
1. Pilot

**What seems to have been a very long time ago, ChesireGrinn and I, LilMissFerret, came up with this dysfunctional, crazed idea. We love Power Rangers, with all of the cheesy, nonsensical bits, and the sometimes dark and tragic aspects. This is all of that, an amalgamation of all of the best parts, and mixed in I hope you find the heart and the maturity that the stories can sometimes lack. So come, laugh, cry, _fight_ with us, its going to be a wild ride.**

**We'd also like to give a special thanks to our friend and Beta. Even though she has no love for the franchise, she has read through hundreds of pages of material, and continues to give us her unconditional support.  
**

* * *

**Pilot**

"Ah, such lovely climate here."

The man stretched his hands over his head, sighing dreamily as he closed his baby blue eyes. It was a nice day, warm with a steady, cooling breeze, keeping everything the perfect temperature.

His companions didn't share his enthusiasm.

"So we traveled for two years just to settle where we started?" The first woman asked, throwing a box at his feet. She had dark, cropped hair, and she braced a hand on her hip, thoroughly unimpressed. He spun, grinning ear-to-ear, "But this is where it started! It's poetic, don't you think?"

"And it wasn't a total loss," Her friend said, pulling her chocolate hair over her shoulder. "We got to travel the world, and we got some priceless training."

"We are not unloading your U-Haul, either," The first continued, mostly ignoring her friend. "You've got enough stuff to outfit the Army. It'd take all night."

"But you're my favorite ladies!" He crooned, kneeling to kiss the second's knuckles. She rolled her eyes, but didn't move as he blathered on, "Analise, my love, the angel of my conscience! You keep me on the straight and narrow, make my life worth living."

"And Dinah, my strength, my warrior queen," He declared, only to have the woman promptly place a foot on his wrist, pinning it, and his upper body, to the deck. She eyed him smugly, "We. Are not. Unloading. The truck."

He pouted pitifully at Analise, who smiled back sweetly with a giggle, "You heard her."

"So mean," He frowned, and Dinah released his wrist, "Antonius Demetrius Shaw, don't you even."

"Oooh, full name," Analise snickered, standing to follow her friend, wiggling her fingers at Shaw, "Have fun with your truck."

**~Ͻ Ϲ~**

"They're nice buildings," Analise commented, snarling her nose up a moment later as she drug her finger through a thick film of dust on the mantel piece, "though they could use a deep clean and a coat of paint."

"Who knows how long they've been here, sitting empty," Dinah said, looking out the window.

The property was a good six acres, with a large house at the center and a house at each of the four corners. The main house had a massive basement, while the main floor had a huge living room and fully-outfitted, modern kitchen, along with a couple bathrooms. The second floor had four different rooms that would soon be fitted for training, and the upper most floor would be Shaw's extravagant bedroom.

Each of the smaller houses had a bathroom, two bedrooms, a living room and kitchen. While the big house had been basically outfitted with furniture, the smaller buildings contained only the necessities.

After flipping the light on and off, and testing the tap in the kitchen as well, Dinah made a noise of interest, "Electricity and water works. There's that."

"There is that," Analise murmured, poking her head in a bedroom. They were empty but roomy, with a decent closet and plain white walls. She huffed, "We're gonna have to go get paint. These places need some color."

Dinah appeared in the other side of the doorway, snarling her nose, "Uh, definitely. So bland."

"But they are nice little houses," The brunette said, both of the heading to investigate the bathroom. No sooner than Analise turned on the light did Dinah groaned dramatically, "Claw-foot tub. Yes."

Analise rolled her eyes in amusement, heading back to the living room as her friend followed. They took a seat on the wrap-around porch, looking out over the rest of the grounds; the grass was in need of being mowed, but it was peaceful, the tall stalks swaying in the slow wind.

"This is going to be a god-awful mess, isn't it?" Dinah sighed tiredly, swiping a hand over her face. Analise shrugged, chuckling, "Probably, but at least it'll be interesting."

They sat in silence for a while, enjoying the weather. As the sun began to slip lower in the sky, Analise stood, "Let's go get some dinner. I'm sure come tomorrow, we'll be so busy we won't know what to do."

"What joy," Dinah deadpanned, and they headed off towards Ana's car.

**~Ͻ Ϲ~**

Sleeping in a nest of random pillows, blankets, and cushions was easier than splitting up to go to their own houses, and that's where they were when Shaw entered, whistling a jaunty tune.

"Up an at 'em, lovely ladies," Shaw sang, and was answered by an incoherent mumble and an irritated groan. He sighed dramatically, dropping into a chair that he'd dragged from his truck the night before, "Come on now, girls, get up. Things to do."

"Go awaaaaay," Analise groaned, and Shaw wasn't quick enough to avoid the sock Dinah lobbed at his head. It bounced off his forehead, and he frowned, "Very mature."

"We just got here," Analise whined pitifully, popping up from the blankets, her hair knotted and tangled and frizzy. "Can't we have a day or two to rest?"

"Evil waits on no one," Shaw replied primly, sipping on his fancy coffee. Dinah growled, and though he couldn't determine where her form was in the mass of blankets, he could very plainly hear her grumbling, "You pretentious, pompous ass. I am not getting up before noon."

"But there are things to do!" Shaw shouted dramatically, flailing a bit. Suddenly, he placed his coffee down. Analise watched with tired confusion as he stalked closer, and bent at the waist, getting a secure grip on the blanket. He yanked it, revealing Dinah, who then promptly rolled to her back, bracing her hands on the ground above her shoulders, and launched herself to her feet.

Shaw stumbled back with a small noise of surprise, and possibly fear, as Dinah stalked toward him, eyes narrowed. She grabbed the blanket, tossing it over his head, and swiped his feet from under him. He fell back gracelessly into the chair, and she quickly rounded it, tying the ends of the blanket to the chair, trapping him.

"Since we were so rudely awoken..." Dinah declared, easily slipping his wallet from his back pocket, and withdrew a credit card. She held it between two fingers, waving it under his nose with a grin, "I do believe I'd like to go shopping, and I can assure you, I will spend so much your wallet will cry."

Tears gathered in his eyes, and Dinah smirked, "Now don't you wish you'd just left me in Tibet?"

"I'm starting to," he whined, and Analise smothered a laugh behind her hand, shaking her head as she followed her friend from the room.

**o.O.o**

Analise scowled at the shelves of the local grocery store. "Why can't they get the right kind of juice?"

Rolling her eyes, Dinah pushed the shopping cart around her friend, "Just get another brand. There's only three different ones to choose from."

The other girl pouted, "But I only like Juicy Juice. And only like three flavors of that."

"You're pathetic." The taller woman proceeded on, heading for the shelf packed with snack cakes and cookies. "But of course they don't have my animal crackers, either."

Analise laughed, dumping her juice choice into the basket, and grabbing a few snacks as well. "Should we be responsible and get some actual food, too? Everything in here so far is junk."

"Ramen noodles aren't junk food," Dinah reminded her, gesturing to the bright colored bag.

"Fine," she sighed, still grinning. "How about some adult food, then."

The two women picked their way through the aisles, dodging a giant stack of dog food and several of Angel Grove's older citizens in the process. Dinah was true to her word; their cart filled up quite quickly, and with every turn they were adding to it.

Time flew by them as they debated what kinds of things they needed, and made sure they had all of the basics on top of everything else. "Did we miss the cereal somewhere?" Ana asked, scanning the store. "I wanted to get some oatmeal…"

"It was back that way, I think," Dinah told her, nodding in the right direction. "It was with all of the cleaning supplies."

Without question, Analise headed to the left, squinting at the signs hanging above the aisles. Then a tiny child ran straight into her, quickly darting behind her and peeking out from around her legs.

The little boy, no older than six, giggled mischievously, obviously thinking he had found a perfect hiding place. Another boy came chasing down the same aisle soon after, looking around in every direction. The two could have been twins, except that the second boy was a few years older. They had the same dark eyes and matching striped hair, although in varying shades of blond.

"Auri!" the older boy called out. "I'm going to get you!"

Analise wasn't quite sure what to do with some stranger's child plastered to her. She shot a look at Dinah, but her friend merely shrugged, amusement lighting up her eyes as she stood, several feet away, watching the chaos ensue.

Just as she was about to blow the boy's cover, a very frantic looking woman came charging in their direction, a very pretty girl at her side. "Aristos!" she chided, grabbing the older boy by the hand and pulling him to her side. "What have I told you about running off without me? And where is your brother?"

The older boy lowered his head, his lighter hair blending in with the perfect streaks running through the long strands. "We were just playing hide-and-seek, Mommy," he answered her quietly.

Behind Analise, the younger boy was trying to make himself smaller, his small hands fisted in the material of her jeans.

Their mother stood suddenly, as if she had just realized she was being watched. She tucked a strand of her dark hair behind her ear, looking far wearier than she should. "Angeni, take your brother and go get the cart, okay?" she told the girl.

Angeni nodded, taking her brother's hand and pulling him towards the way they had come. Her own streaked hair swayed back and forth as she scurried away from them.

The woman approached them then. "Have you seen a little boy?" she asked. "He's five, about this tall. He ran off a few minutes ago and I don't know where he went..."

Quick to cut her off before she was overcome with panic, Analise interrupted, "Actually, he kinda found us." She pointed to her little tag along, who peered up at the two of them, wearing what must have been his best puppy-dog face.

It certainly softened her heart, but his mother must have been used to it by this point. She gently pulled the boy to her, "Aurelius, don't you ever do that again. Do you hear me?"

The boy nodded, wrapping his arms around her. "Sorry, Mommy."

The woman hugged him back before hoisting him up in the air and shifting him to her hip, bunching up her pale yellow shirt. "It's okay, baby," she told him, kissing his forehead lightly. "I'm so sorry about that. Boys. My goodness they get into everything. I took my eyes off of them for three seconds and they were gone!"

Analise laughed, "It's no problem. We're happy to help."

The shopping cart squeaked as Dinah finally joined her, greeting the woman as she did so. "It was fun to watch, at least."

The older woman smiled, "Are you girls new in town?"

"Kind of," Analise started just as Dinah said, "Just moved back."

"Well, I'm Ashley Hammond. If you need anything I'm usually about. When I'm not wrangling these little monsters, of course," she told them, ticking the boy's leg and making him giggle.

"Dinah Wilde and Analise Rivers," Dinah introduced for them.

With a sharp squeak, and a squeal, Ashley's other two children made their reappearance, almost losing their shopping cart as they made too sharp of a turn. "And that's my signal to leave. Nice to meet you two."

They returned the sentiment, watching as the little family was directed towards the registers at the front. "Was that-" Analise whispered quietly to her friend, quickly cut off by her, "That was the yellow Space Ranger!"

"Oh my gosh. This place is just crawling with them, isn't it?" she laughed, hardly believing what had just happened.

"Tony is going to be so jealous," Dinah replied smugly. "Now go get your oatmeal so we can get the hell out of here."

Without further delay, Ana darted off to finish her shopping, unable to keep an excited grin off her face. Maybe coming back here hadn't been such a terrible idea after all.


	2. Episode I Analise

**Episode I**

**Analise**

The first day she ventured out on her own was something else. When Shaw had taken them for their journey around the world she had left most of her belongings here, at her parents' house. Now, two years later, she stood on her front door step, reliving some of the most memorable times in her childhood.

This was the house she'd grown up in, from the time she was a tiny baby, until the moment she left it all to chase a dream that she really couldn't tell anyone about. Sure, they'd concocted a story to share with the world, but it had cut deeply into the family ties she had always cherished.

In the past two years she had missed her younger brother's graduation, birthdays, and Christmases. She had left her mother all alone with just the boys, without her dad there to help out. It had been hard for her, and she couldn't imagine what her mother was going to say when she finally opened the door.

They still talked, of course, but it was always tense and short-lived. Analise twirled a finger through her thick hair, steeling herself for the worst as she knocked on the faded door.

She knocked three times then took a small step back to wait, chewing on her bottom lip and examining the warped boards of the porch. After five breaths she was about to give up, when at last the latched clicked and the door swung inwards.

"Hello?" her mother started, before she even had the door open, but once it was, her dark eyes, so like her own, widened in shock. "Ana!" she exclaimed, pulling her into a hug before she could even return the pleasantries. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming? No, no, never mind, let me have a look at you."

"Hi, Mom," she returned quietly, afraid to break the spell.

The woman held her out, but never let go of her arms, taking her in for several heartbeats before saying anything else. "You look good, sweetheart. You've lost a lot of weight too, haven't you?" She just kept smiling, and for that, Analise was eternally grateful, feeling herself about to tear up.

"I'm so sorry, Mom. I never, never meant to be away so long... It just… I don't even know what to say," she rambled wildly, and covering her face with her hands.

"Shh," she chided, tugging on her elbow in an effort to get her to follow her inside. "There's time for that later, right now you're home. Come on, sit. Tell me about your trip."

The younger woman nodded weakly, following like an obedient puppy. They walked straight into the living room which, thank God, still looked the same as it had on the day she'd left. Analise took her favorite seat, kicking off her flip-flops and tucking her feet underneath her as she sat on the couch, breathing in the sweet smell of home.

Then she let it all go, telling her about all of the places they had visited, from China and Japan to Europe and South America. There didn't seem to be a place they hadn't been, building their knowledge and making it ever nearer to Tony's goal, to their goal. But she couldn't tell her everything, and edited her story to fit what she had always said.

They talked and talked, filling in the other on the big moments over the past two and a half years.

When it came time to say goodbye, Analise had to pull herself away. Her mother simply couldn't understand why she wanted to stay at some strange place after being away so long. She understood that, she did, but it had been so long that she had made a new home, strange and broken though it may be, and she belonged there with them.

She paused on the walkway, turning back to study the place, to devote every inch of it to memory. Then she stepped away, leaving behind that life for good. She was a new person now, all grown up, and she had her mission to complete.

Ana stopped only once more, abandoning the sidewalk, and the bus that had brought her back here, for her old, worn out car. The little thing was far from impressive, rusting around the back left tire, and wobbly around the front where the axle was getting loose. In the time she'd been gone it had sat in the garage, barely touched, and the disuse had started to take its toll.

The boxy car roared to life with a twist of the key, but when it settled she was left with a deep whiny noise. Worried that the hunk of scrap metal wouldn't make it the twenty minutes between one house and the next, Analise eased the car out of the drive and onto the road, muttering softly to it.

Whatever she did must have worked, because, despite the fact that the clatter was persistent, she made it home safe and in one piece. Although she feared making it back out wouldn't be quite so easy.

**o.O.o**

Analise groaned, clutching the receipt in her hand._ Four hundred dollars_, she thought, wondering just how screwed she was. She'd not been born rich, and after spending all of her adult life chasing after a crazy person all over the world, she had blown through what little savings she did have. Not that Shaw hadn't been very generous. He had taken them both in, kept them fed and clothed, while he showed them the world.

It had been a magical experience, one that neither her nor Dinah would change for the world, she was sure, but she felt simply dreadful about this.

Shaw had bought them the house, for their base of operations, true, but also for their own living arrangements. He had paid for the minor renovations they had been doing, the food in their refrigerators, and now the furniture and the repairs to her car.

Just today she'd picked out enough stuff to make her tiny house more livable, picked her car up from the shop, and now she was going to do something she was going to regret in the morning.

Analise left the garage and headed back towards the main road, only to get stopped by a changing traffic light. She huffed, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel, while she examined the shops across the street. Angel Grove had a bit of everything, as well as the gigantic mall just down the street, but she had always preferred the historical part of the city.

Here the buildings dated back at least a century, and sometimes more than that. The little shops were packed with everything from antiques to gourmet candy. She had always been particularly fond of the homemade ice cream they served around the corner, idly wondering if that place was still open when the light finally changed back to green.

She only had three lights to go before she was home free, and somehow managed to get stuck at two of them. The universe seemed to really be harping on her today, but, then again, if she hadn't been stopped at that last light she might never have noticed her new favorite spot in town.

The tiny store was loud, but most pet shops were. The brick building had been squeezed in between two much larger shops, out of the way and unimposing. From wall to wall there was nothing but aquariums and terrariums, some with various creatures crawling about inside, some just waiting to be purchased.

She had really just came in to look, honestly, to ease away some of the stress she had been under. But she hadn't really counted on the huge display of ferrets. Cute, cuddly, baby ferrets. She had a weak spot for most things small and furry, and ferrets had a special place in her heart.

The young woman leaned over the glass edge, stretching her short frame so that she could reach some of the sleeping bundles. How those three managed to sleep while a half a dozen others chased about was beyond her. She quickly picked a favorite of the bunch, a small silvery colored one that kept tackling the others, one after the other.

Analise reached for it, only to have the ornery thing dash in the other direction, hiking up its back and bouncing from side to side. "You're too little to be scary," she laughed quietly to the baby, stretching as far as she could, one leg up in the air and her other foot up on her toes. She was almost toppling over, but at last she was able to right herself, the squirming creature grasped securely in one hand.

The little one fought for several more seconds, digging in its sharp little claws and wriggling from side to side. Unfazed, she just kept talking to it, using her best cooing baby talk, all the while grinning like an idiot. Eventually the tiny ferret calmed down enough to stare at her with its beady black eyes.

Analise stroked the fur on its forehead, just above the dark mask covering its eyes. The ferret shut its eyes, leaning its head back into the action, clearly enjoying the attention. She really shouldn't have been doing this, however; it was long past the time she should have left and headed back home.

She'd bought quite a bit of stuff, although she'd been careful not to spend so much of Shaw's money that she would never be able to pay it back to him. Not that he would be missing the money she had spent anytime soon, it just made her feel bad. Buying furniture and dishes for her new place was one thing, contemplating spending three hundred dollars of someone else's money for a new pet was entirely different.

Holding her prize hostage, Analise stared around the small room, wondering just what it was she was supposed to do next. She hadn't thought this far ahead, hell until a few minutes ago she hadn't even been thinking about getting a pet, but the last thing she wanted to do was let this one loose.

She must have looked a sight, standing in the middle of the room, because after a few minutes of that a happy girl done all up in pink bounced her way over. The slight blond smiled, lighting up her bright blue eyes.

"Hello," she greeted. "Do you need help?"

Analise looked to the ferret and then back at the girl before sighing. "Actually, yes. I think I do. Can you go get one of the workers for me? I don't think it's a good idea to take this ferret away from the pen."

"Sure thing," she replied, flipping her long hair over her shoulder as she scanned the room for a likely suspect. "Be right back."

Analise watched as the girl skipped her way to the front counter, only to turn back around a few moments later clutching a cardboard pet carrier. "Here you go," she chirped as she returned. "He said to just put it in here and bring it up front."

Analise smiled, carefully placing the animal inside the box and then sealing it up. "Thank you so much. I'm Analise, by the way."

"I'm Ellie, Ellie DeSantos. And it's no problem. You looked like you needed some help." Ellie started to continue, but was quickly cut off by another voice.

"Ellie! Where are you?" called a pretty brunette woman, one hand holding onto another girl, and the other clutching a long cane.

"Coming, Mom!" the girl called back. "Well, I've got to go. Good luck with your new pet!" And then she was gone, bouncing off in the other direction.

Fifteen minutes later she was clutching a large wire cage packed with odds and ends under one arm and the cardboard pet box clamped tightly in her opposite hand, grinning from ear to ear. Someone was going to kill her, she knew, but that didn't seem to be enough to stop her.

The ferret, a little girl the man at the register had informed her, scattered back and forth across the box, attempting with great gusto to break loose of her confinement. To an outsider it probably looked like she was shaking the poor thing to death, when in reality it was a struggle just to keep from dropping her.

At long last they reached the parking lot, and she cursed herself for parking so far away from the front door. It was going to be a long trip home she feared, she was just hoping that her little hellion didn't gnaw her way through the box and end up somewhere she shouldn't.

She popped open the rear door, carefully setting the box on the back seat, before packing away the other things she had bought. Analise snatched up her package again, moving the crazy creature to the front passenger seat before buckling herself in, wondering just how in the hell she was going to explain her way out of this one.

**o.O.o**

If anything had to go right today, she was glad it was this. When Ana pulled back into the main drive of their new headquarters she was blessedly alone. She pulled her old, but remarkably better sounding, car as close to her own house as she could, frowning at the ugly peeling exterior. The moment she found the time she was going to scrape all of the mess off and find herself a brush.

But now wasn't really time for that. With no idea when the remainder of her household was going to appear, Analise made quick work moving her new things into the tiny house.

The decoration was sparse, aside from the things she'd bought today and the little she had carried with her on their trips, she had only brought in her little bit of furniture from her mother's house. Her bedroom was currently the most appealing room of the place, and left her living room a sad place to walk into. Hopefully before too long she would have some actual furniture, but at the moment it was just a big open room.

Ana danced across the space, setting down her bags and boxes. Her new towels would have to be washed, as would the dishes and cookware once she'd unboxed them, and so she sat them on her empty kitchen counters for the moment and went to retrieve the real prize.

She still felt terrible about the whole situation, which was the whole reason behind her scurrying back and forth between her car and the house, like a frightened mouse. The ferret had settled down, at least for now, and so it, too, joined the rest of her purchases as she fixed up the cage for her new little friend.

The sweet smell of cedar filled the air as she broke into the bag of bedding, spilling tiny chips of wood onto the thin carpet. Analise fussed with the arrangement, plopped down on the floor, stringing up the hanging bed and filling up the bulky water bottle.

At long last she went after the carrier, and eased the top open. The little ferret was awake, curled in the corner and looking at her hatefully. Hoping she was reading too much into its demeanor, Ana reached for the creature, only to have her rather pointy teeth sunk deep into the flesh of her hand.

"Dammit!" she cursed, yanking away from the little beast. She examined her hand, hissing when the tiny holes started bleeding.

Her whole hand was throbbing as she tried to maneuver so that she didn't lose her new pet. The ferret, seeing this as a great chance to escape, once more resumed her heated attempt at escape, thrashing wildly one second and trying to climb out of the box the next.

With her hand stuck firmly in her mouth, and the box wedged between her feet, she released the handles and let the box reopen. The evil little critter darted away from her, but after a near miss, Analise managed to snag her around the waist and hoisted her in the air.

The ferret flailed for a few moments while she worked to get the cage door open, very unhappy with her predicament. At long last she got her in, somehow managing not to get bitten once more, only to have her silence interrupted by the tell-tale crunch of gravel.

"Uh oh," she whispered to herself, feeling like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar. She was going to be in such trouble.


	3. Episode II Dinah

**Episode II**

**Dinah**

She looked around at her humble abode, wondering where to begin. They'd decided to tackle their own homes first before even thinking about the big house and all its many and spacious rooms. It was a daunting task, and no one was quite ready for it just yet.

So, with Shaw tucked away in his lab, that she had playfully deemed "The Batcave," and Analise out in town shopping, she decided to survey the damage at her own place before making any decisions.

Thankfully, the atrocious wallpaper was already peeling, so it wouldn't be too hard to get down. There was also the bonus of the walls underneath, which were real wood. With a bit of wood polish and elbow grease, they'd be good as new.

She turned, looking at the floor with a heavy sigh. The linoleum was peeling as well, and completely missing in some spots. The floor underneath wasn't rotted, though, so that was something.

The counters in the kitchen were scratched and covered in thick grime, but she could fix that fairly easily, much like the floor and walls. It would be time-consuming, but not very difficult or expensive.

The light fixtures were another story. The plastic one above the sink was melted, most likely due to electrical failure, and the one in the living room was shattered, shards of glass clinging valiantly to the edge of the light. The overhead one in the kitchen was by far the worst, since there was nothing but a gouge in the ceiling with wire hanging out.

A thick layer of dust rested over everything, but she wasn't concerned, since she'd just decided that project number one was knocking out the partial wall between the kitchen and the living room to make them open to one another. No point in cleaning up dust when there'd be drywall dust everywhere again right after.

The bathroom was in good shape. It needed a fresh coat of paint and the fixtures needed polishing, but that was all superficial. The bedroom was fine too, it's only problem being how painfully bland it was.

She headed back to the living room, passing to look out the windows. They were all partially rotted and warped, the wood barely hanging onto the glass and the house itself, but she figured that with all the money she'd save on the walls and floors doing them herself, she could afford some big bay windows for the front, and possibly her room too.

She leaned back against the bare wall, sliding to the floor with a sigh. She leaned her head back, closing her eyes as she tried to clear her mind. Only faintly registering the creak of a door echoing through the empty house, she didn't open her eyes until she felt fur brush against her leg.

She looked down at the cat, who stared back with orange eyes, the left with a partial section of green. Giving the feline a warm, loving smile, she reached down to stroke over the cat's head, scratching behind her ear as she whispered, "Home sweet home, huh, babe?"

The cat only gave a soft meow, climbing atop her human's lap, and then further to her chest, resting her head under Dinah's chin. The young woman snuggled her close, feeling at ease for the first time in months.

~Ͻ Ϲ~

Paint was easily found, and consisted mostly of a couple different shades of a beautiful grayish-blue and a dark blue-black to use for accents. The tools to take down the wallpaper and tear up the linoleum were easily found as well, and really all she needed now was a paint pan for the rollers, which the paint store had been out of.

Of course.

She watched the crowds, sliding off to the side to get out of everyone's way as she tried to find the hardware store with a small map meant for tourists. It wasn't going well; she couldn't tell up from down on the crumpled piece of paper, and she didn't even know if she was on the right street.

"Need some help?" She looked over, finding a teenage girl smiling at her. The girl was her height, with deep chocolate hair done with various braids-one snaked over her left shoulder, while another, smaller one hung by the opposite ear, and a final, large one hung down her back-and her gray eyes were striking against the deep olive tone of her skin.

Dinah laughed awkwardly, "Uh, yeah, definitely. I'm trying to find the hardware store."

"Oh, no problem," She grinned, stepping closer to Dinah to point it out on her map. "You just hang a left up here, and then another left at the second one. It's the first door. But there's another one, on the other side of town. You just go-"

The girl shoved her suddenly, just in time to keep her from being run over by two young roller skaters. One wore yellow, the color contested sharply against the dark curls on his head and his darker skin. The other had short, dark, medium brown hair and dark brown eyes, clothed in a red muscle shirt.

The girl spun, shouting at the pair angrily, "You morons!"

The boy in yellow grinned shamelessly, while the one in red laughed, "Oh, come on, Alex. Live a little!"

"You almost ran us over, Logan!" The girl snarled, waving a finger at the other boy, "And you aren't any better, Ian!"

The one in yellow snapped his jaw shut, silencing himself, and the one in red laughed dramatically, "See you on the flipside, Alex!"

They vanished around the corner, leaving Alex fuming.

Dinah smiled, "Go get 'em."

The girl looked back at her, and Dinah smirked knowingly, "I truly appreciate all the help, really, but I think I can handle it from here. Besides, I think those two need to be put in their place."

Alex cocked her head in agreement, offering a hand, "I'm Alex, as you heard. But I didn't catch your name."

"Dinah," She answered, shaking her hand.

"Thanks again."

"Nice to meet you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go kill those two."

"Have fun. Don't get caught."

~Ͻ Ϲ~

The hardware store was like most family-run ones: impossibly cluttered and completely unorganized. After thirty minutes of fruitless searching, Dinah finally found the tray, on the top shelf, under a bike helmet and stacked haphazardly atop an odd, flat light cover.

She stretched up on her tip toes, and even with her long arm stretched as far as she possibly could, she didn't come close to reaching the item on her search.

She huffed, planting her hands on her hips as she frowned; it was a shame that five-foot-nine was too short to reach anything. As she stood there, trying to figure out how to get the paint tray down without giving herself a concussion or knocking down half the shelves in the store, a lean hand entered her line of sight, knocking the helmet to the side and pulling the paint tray down.

She looked to the hand's owner, who smiled, offering the paint tray to her, "You looked like you could use a hand."

"Thank you," She blurted, taking the tray. He was just taller than herself, with short, raven hair and friendly, liquid onyx eyes. He appeared to have at least some sort of partial Asian ancestry.

"This place is a wreck, so you're lucky you found what you were looking for," he chuckled, motioning down the aisle. "I've been looking for a kitchen sink fixture for twenty minutes now."

"Need a hand?" Dinah volunteered with a small smile, shrugging in response to his surprised look, "Least I could do."

"Sure, I won't turn down the help," he grinned, offering a hand.

She gave a friendly smile, shaking his hand, "Dinah."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Dinah," he smiled, "I'm Adam."

She nodded, and turned to follow him down the aisle. They had just emerged into the center aisle of the cluttered store, when a child called out, "Daddy!"

Adam stopped, turning in the direction of the sound, obviously well practiced in doing so. The two boys that tottered around the corner were obviously twins, one's hair in dark, shoulder length curls, while the other's was cut short, much like the man at her side. He rushed forward, "Sam, Luca! Where's your brother?"

Another boy blew around the corner, older than the twins but very, very similar looking, his hair in a ponytail. Adam held his hand out, "Aiden!"

He came to his father's side just as a teen walked quickly around the corner, a little girl in his arms. If the trio of boys looked like Adam, the teen might as well have been his clone. The little girl looked like them as well, though she had a few finer features, like her nose and jaw, that had probably come from her mother.

"Jaime," Adam said, and the boy panted, "I lost Nate."

"Jesus," Adam muttered, rolling his eyes. Dinah stifled a laugh; judging by that look, this was a regular occurrence. The man held his hands out, "Give me Lacey. I'll get these guys in the car, you find that little hellion."

Jaime nodded, passing his little sister over before darting off in searched of the presumed-final child. Adam turned to her, smiling stiffly, "Well, I hate to cut it short, but I think this bunch has been out in public enough today. But it was nice to meet you. And thanks for the help...or the attempt, anyway."

"No problem," Dinah smiled. "Nice to meet you, too. And good luck."

He laughed loudly, "I'll probably need it."

~Ͻ Ϲ~

Dinah entered the big house, dropping the bags laden with Chinese takeout on the table, a dumbfounded look on her face. Analise looked to her, perched at the kitchen bar, and observed the drawn brows and confused, thoughtful look for a moment before asking, voice heavy with dread, "What happened?"

"I'm pretty sure I met a former Ranger," Dinah said slowly, and Analise's jaw dropped, "No friggin' way!"

She nodded slowly, "Adam? Park, I think. I mean he had six kids-well, five that I saw, they lost one-and they were all in black. And the baby had a mammoth on her onesie. I don't think that's a coincidence."

"Wow."

"Yeah."


	4. Episode III Cain

**Episode III**

**Cain**

Analise sat out in her car, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her chocolate eyes roamed over her features, as bland and everyday as she always thought they were. The young woman took a deep breath, straightened a few flyaway hairs, and finally emerged from her beat up little car.

She couldn't believe she had really been talked into this. She wasn't good with people, especially not new ones. She just froze up and got all nervous. Shaw had kind of demanded though, and it wasn't like she was the only one suffering.

She spared a thought for her friend, hundreds of miles away in Silver Hills. Shaking that thought loose, Analise pressed forward, trying to focus on putting one foot in front of the other and not on her racing heart. Halfway to the door she was cursing her shoes when a large piece of gravel almost did her in.

The burst of cool air was refreshing as the automatic doors sprang to life, revealing the pleasant, albeit sparse, reception area. A perky blonde, no older than herself, looked up from her fingernails before greeting her with a smile.

"Can I help you, ma'am?" she asked cheerfully, somehow managing to show off even more of her pearly whites.

"Um," she returned, unsure where she should begin. "I was hoping I could speak with someone. I think he's the leading aeronautics engineer. Cain Mirinoi?"

The girl's bright smile dimmed a little at that, and her blue eyes lost some of their sparkle. "Do you have an appointment?" she asked. Her voice had certainly lost some of its cheer.

Perplexed, and a bit curious, Analise pressed on, "My employer, Tony Shaw, sent me. Perhaps you've heard of him? He owns a percentage of NASADA, I believe."

"Well," she said, "I can't let you in without an appointment. It's against government policy. Besides, Cain despises visitors in general, appointment or no."

Analise quirked an eyebrow. She was growing tired of this girl's tone. The more she carried on the less professional she sounded, and the more she seemed like a scorned love interest, not that it mattered to her much either way.

She was about to turn back, call Shaw and demand that he find her a way in or else she was calling it quits, when a familiar face entered the room. Although they had only met briefly in the past, you couldn't just forget a face like that. He belonged on a magazine cover, not in some unknown science lab.

"Dr. Stewart!" she called, trying to get his attention, bursting into a grin when his blue eyes caught her own much darker ones.

"Ana?" he questioned, recognition lighting up his face.

They'd only met once before, and she hadn't been sure he would remember her at all. Analise breathed a sigh of relief, "Hello Justin." Clicking her heels across the tile floor, she closed the distance between them, leaving the receptionist wide-eyed. "I didn't know you were working here now."

"Mhm," he hummed. "I've been working on growth and development in zero gravity. Here's hoping the new colony will be launching in the next decade."

"Impressive," Analise returned, getting flashbacks of the first time they'd met. He had succeeded in wooing her with his technobabble then, but she didn't want to get into that again, not now at least. "So you would know the engineer in charge then? Cain?"

Justin nodded, shooting a glance back to the way he'd come. "Sure, he designed the colony. Well, he's designed most of the spacecraft over the last few years, really. Why?"

She chewed on her lip, _why did everyone have to be so curious?_ "I need to speak to him about a job opportunity. We could use his expertise," she answered, shrugging it off as no big deal.

He eyed her strangely, as if he suspected that there was more to it than that, but he didn't question her further. "I can show you the way if you like. I just needed a few notes, then I was headed back that way."

"I'd appreciate that. I don't mean to be a bother, though..."

"It's not a problem," he assured her with a smile. "Right this way."

**o.O.o**

Cain was busy toying with the schematics of one of NASADA's many satellites. Just today the organization had received twelve calls from different sources complaining of disruptions. Everything from cell phone towers to the Hubble telescope was having trouble today.

At first, they had thought that perhaps a solar storm had been causing the problems, but so far none of the readings from the sun had come up odd. NASADA had every one of their outposts looking for the cause, and after twelve hours they were still no farther than when they had started.

Truth be told he was beginning to think the disturbance was terrestrial, and very likely supernatural. That was not an easy assumption to prove, however, and his higher ups were still a little skeptical when it came to things like magic.

He was close to a breakthrough, he could feel it, but between a pounding headache and the lack of sleep, Cain was starting to lose focus. He fought the feeling for a few seconds more, but it was no use. He leaned back in his office chair, shutting out the bright fluorescents and momentarily drifting off.

With his extra sensitive senses hindered by his dozing, Cain didn't register the intruders until they were opening his office door. Startled, and out of sorts, Cain jumped to his feet in a flash of speed. One second he was sitting near his computer, and in the next he was ready for a fight.

It took several more seconds, however, before he registered that the two people standing in the doorway weren't likely to be a true threat. "What are you doing Stewart? Don't you know how to knock?" he growled, barely noticing the short girl standing by his side.

"Sorry, Cain. I thought... well, never mind that, I was just showing Miss Rivers here the way to your office," he finished, gesturing to the girl at his side.

Cain paused to consider her. She wasn't anything special, really, but the gleam in her eye, some odd mixture of fear and excitement he'd wager, was intriguing. He cocked his head, watching the way she fidgeted under his gaze. "I'll take it from here, then," he decided rather suddenly, shooing the shocked doctor with a wave of his hand. Dr. Stewart started to protest, but the girl jumped in, giving him a weak smile.

"Thank you for your help, Justin. I think I can handle it from here," she told him, sounding far more sure than she looked. He stuttered a few more seconds, before finally turning around and leaving them alone.

The girl stepped deeper into the room, muttering some nonsense about the decor, and he watched as her brave shell all but disappeared. Cain snapped the door closed, just a little harder than necessary, enjoying the way the girl jumped before shooting him a worried glance.

"So," he started, returning to his chair, "do you have a first name?"

"Analise," she answered proudly. "Analise Rivers. But that's not really important. I came on urgent business."

"Did Shaw send you?" he asked. The man in question was out of his mind, obviously. He had previously asked for his help locating and securing a rather precious piece of government property. Cain didn't even wait for an answer, as her surprise was clearly written all over her face. "I'm not interested in his little games, as I've already informed him. Repeatedly."

The girl shrugged, "He says that you're the best in your field, and that if his plan ever takes off, he'll need your help to actually keep it afloat."

Cain suspected she was paraphrasing quite a bit with that statement, but even if it had been verbatim, he wasn't about to pick up his pathetically small number of belongings and move for the whims of an eccentric billionaire. He didn't particularly care for Stone Canyon, or his lonely apartment, but that didn't mean that he had any interest in leaving. If it hadn't been for his dog, he might just stay at the office for the rest of eternity. "I'm not interested," he repeated. "I have two shuttles to repair, a colony to build, and an entire network of satellites to debug. I simply don't have the time, much less the energy."

"Not even to help the Power Rangers?" she asked.

He snorted at that. "Have you even met any of the Power Rangers? I have personally met several; they are not that spectacular." He remembered the tales of legendary heroes that were the protectors of his home world, and how disappointed he had been in the team that had descended upon them when he was a child.

Analise blinked up at him, not understanding his tone. He could see the innocence, the child-like wonder that shone in her irises, everything he had lost so long ago. He wondered how she could have come so far, and yet still held onto that. "The Power Rangers have done so much for this world, for yours too, I believe," she told him, matter-of-factly, and she believed it.

"Why is Shaw even attempting to assemble a team? Isn't it against the code of conduct to create new teams without cause?" he sneered, suddenly a little uncomfortable with the way she was watching him, and hoping to stop her.

Again, the girl just shrugged, finally turning her gaze away, "He's come across some kind of disturbance over the grid, some kind of magic down south."

Magic, he thought, casting a quick glance at one of his three monitors. Each held the detailed reports from dozens of satellites from all across the world. He'd had his suspicions... But without a proper connection to the grid, the very matrix that held things like magic and technology, even life itself, together, he couldn't test his theories properly. Shaw had to have found a way to access the grid directly, and the best way to do that was through the Alpha series.

1 through 4 had been lost eons ago, 5 and 6 were scattered across the universe, and 7's whereabouts were unknown, leaving only the final member, Alpha 8. Cain thought back to the last time he and Shaw had worked together. He had been instrumental in getting his hands on the robot, then only a pile of knotted wires and a circuit board so complex that even the world's most intelligent couldn't piece it back together. But Shaw, by some miracle, must have gotten it done.

Cain wondered just how far his research could go with that kind of resource. The possibilities were endless, really, and if all he had to do was organize and repair equipment... Well it wasn't really any different than what he was doing here.

NASADA didn't really need him, at least not physically. He was just another one of their brains, and he could be that anywhere.

"Cain?" she girl asked, sounding concerned. He shook himself out of his thoughts, wondering how long he had zoned out.

"Fine. I'll come, before that mad man tries to destroy the whole of Angel Grove." He paused, finalizing his thoughts before continuing, "But I have a few demands, and hope that Shaw will fulfill them before I arrive. He'll have 'til the end of the week, no later."

Analise stared at him then, mouth open like a fish. No sooner had he finished that thought, however, before she snapped her jaw shut and struck an aggravated pose. She cocked her hip to one side, then grasped it with one hand, all the while pointing one angry finger at him with the other. "What can you possibly want?" she huffed.

He liked this change in her, he decided, wondering how long she had been simmering under her cool outer shell. He smirked, "A plane for one. Just his private jet, really, for my personal possessions and equipment."

Analise covered her eyes, and let out a quiet noise that might have been a growl._ This job might actually not be without its benefits_, he thought. He could definitely have fun with this one, at least.

**o.O.o**

She had never been so angry in her life. Analise half stomped back down the corridor, glad that Justin wasn't here this time to talk her ear off. She'd been optimistic about this, or at least she had tried to be.

Handling his attitude wasn't really the problem, even though that was a hassle, but every time he cast those eerie, almost-purple eyes on her, she had to fight the urge to shiver. And he liked it, the creep.

"Urgh!" she huffed once she'd reached her car, tugging off her evil heels and tossing them into the passenger seat. Analise climbed behind the wheel, stretching out her cramped toes and pinching the bridge of her nose.

And the nerve of him! Honestly, he wanted a plane. A private jet to haul him the whole two hours between Stone Canyon and Angel Grove.

Analise let out another angry breath, and then went for her phone. Unsure she could really handle Shaw's excitement on top of her previous encounter, and instead opted for a quick text. That taken care of, she paused to rethink her schedule for the day.

She happened to have one of Shaw's credit cards hidden in the depths of her purse. And Stone Canyon did have one of the best shopping centers in the area. The day was still young, too, and since she had absolutely no desire to go back to the house with only Tony and Alpha for company, shopping sounded like a pretty good idea to her. Her little house was quite empty, after all.

Decided, Analise started up her car, and made her way out of the lot, oblivious to the watchful eyes above her.


	5. Episode IV Del

**Episode IV**

**Del**

"It is awfully quiet in here."

Jennifer Scotts-Collins turned from the bulletin board that detailed all the patrols, but didn't actually look up from her clipboard. Only when her visitor cleared their throat impatiently did the brunette look up. She smiled apologetically at Taylor Earhardt, whose golden hair was braided back, slicked back from her face, and who wore full Air Force fatigues.

She grinned at Jen, who mirrored the gesture for a short moment before chewing on her bottom lip, "It is quiet, isn't it?"

Taylor smirked, one brow near her hairline, "Uh, yeah. I haven't seen hide nor hair of Wes since I passed the first security checkpoint. I was getting suspicious."

"Well, the babysitter canceled, so we had the kids," Jen explained with worry, as she glanced up and down the hallway for a glimpse of her family. "Grant got fussy during a meeting so Wes took him, along with Wyatt and Sky. It was so quiet that I guess I got caught up in my work and-"

"Hey, don't worry too much," Taylor said, as she placed a reassuring hand on the Time Force Ranger's shoulder. "He's the boss. Surely someone would come get you if he was causing too much trouble, right?"

"That's true," Jen agreed, with a small measure of relief, heading deeper into the Silver Guardian Headquarters. Taylor followed, falling into step with the woman as she inquired, "What brings you here, Taylor?"

"The higher-ups needed some papers dropped off," Taylor explained, stretching her arms over her head with a soft groan. "It's been forever since I've been off base, anyway."

Jen wasn't going to touch that; it had been a couple months since Taylor and Eric's relationship had suddenly gone sour, but they still refused to talk about it.

Jen nodded, noticing the manila envelope tucked under her arm for the first time. They rounded the corner, pausing to drop off the papers with the secretary before heading on. Jen was beginning to get very worried again, when she caught sight of her infant son tucked into the crook of a trusted associate and friend's arm.

Del was a big man, taller than both Wes and Eric, and broader through the shoulders and thighs, as well. His ebony hair was short but unruly, scruff thick around his mouth and along his jaw. He smiled warmly, and then Jen saw the other two boys. She breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Sky perched carefully atop Del's shoulders and Wyatt on his other hip. She rushed to meet him, taking Grant in her arms and Del chuckled, "Good news and bad news."

"The good news had better be that my children are okay," Jen growled, passing Grant to Taylor before reaching for Wyatt, "otherwise, I am going to kill my husband."

"Oh, they are," Del smiled, speaking to Sky, "right?" The quiet boy nodded, his chin testing on Del's SG hat, and the man grinned, "We lost Wes a while ago. I took the kids, and Eric went to look for him."

Jen nodded, brushing her lips across Wyatt's forehead; she was glad it had been Eric and Del. Eric was Wes' dearest friend, and Del had been around just as long as she had. Despite a questionable childhood, Del had proven himself time and again as a more-than-capable officer and had become a close friend.

"At least you didn't leave one with Myers," Taylor sneered quietly, rocking Grant back and forth gently. "That would've been a huge mistake."

Jen squeezed the bridge of her nose as Del glanced questioningly at her. She held her hand up in the universal 'don't ask' gesture. He nodded slowly, turning carefully so as to not displace Sky as he watched Eric stalk down the hallway.

The Quantum Ranger was unusually frazzled, his hair slightly mussed and his face twisted in rage. His cap was nowhere to be found, and he wasted no time in launching into a tirade, "Of all the irresponsible things! I have turned this building upside down, and I cannot find him anywhere! He is the Commander, he has an image to uphold!"

"Can't keep your men under control, Myers?" Taylor asked with feigned disinterest, looking up sharply. His dark gaze snapped to her, but the sight of the child in his ex-girlfriend's arms was enough to kill the words on his tongue.

He was saved from any questions or jeering when an odd noise echoed distantly off the walls. They weren't the only ones that heard it, either, judging by the myriad of confused looks on others nearby. She spun about the time a very large, red blur zoomed by in the junction of a far hallway. She ground her teeth, and it appeared again.

"Dammit, Wes," Jen swore, and the other three, upon closer inspection, could see it was Wes as well, riding beyond the maximum speed on a floor waxer. He zoomed by yet again, closer this time, and only by good timing did a young woman with dark hair stop, just in time to avoid being run over.

She watched him go by, shaking her head as she continued on. Her hair was cropped short, and glinted blue in the poor halogen lighting. The helmet tucked under her arm was of similar color to her hair. The stitched black leather jacket, black pants and boots, along with the dark makeup around her eyes, made for a pretty mysterious and intimidating figure.

She paused beside Taylor, giving her a respectful nod, "Lieutenant Earhardt."

Her brows shot up in surprise, as did Eric's and Jen's when she regarded them, "Commander Myers, Assistant Commander Scotts-Collins."

It dawned on Del suddenly and he blurted, "Shaw sent you."

She rolled her eyes, irritation evident, "He was getting impatient, and because he's a spoiled, rotten brat, he demanded I come, so here I am."

It was instinct, so he stuck his hand out politely, careful not to dislodge Sky, "Major Delacroix Doyle."

"Dinah Wilde," She replied, with a firm handshake. Her name surprised him; while her first name was far more feminine than anything he had expected, he had this feeling the last name was right on the money.

Wes approached suddenly, sliding Sky from Del's shoulders to place him on his own, promptly ignoring his wife's glare, "I didn't know you'd made a decision yet."

He'd run the possibility of this happening by Eric and Wes months ago. Wes must've told Jen, who in turn must've told Taylor, because neither of the women seemed surprised.

"I hadn't, exactly..." He muttered. He wanted to, but leaving behind Silver Hills, his friends and the job he loved, his life, was rather daunting. Then again, he owed Shaw. He owed him a lot. If not for the man, he'd probably be in prison or dead right now.

"Look, I don't know what he's told you, if anything," The woman, Dinah, said suddenly. "But at best, this is a shot in the dark. No one's sure how this'll turn out, or even off it'll work at all. Personally, if you've got a good life here, don't leave. I wouldn't."

That surprised them all; Wilde card, Del thought wryly, before posing a very interesting question, "Why are you doing this?"

She gave him a wry, self-depreciating smile, "It's a long story. And not one I'm very keen on sharing. Let's just say I have nothing keeping me elsewhere. Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back, and all that. But back to the point: we don't know where this is going or if it's going at all. But regardless of Shaw, whether you owe him or he has something on you, don't do this if you don't really want to."

"I do," He said with enough conviction that he not only surprised his associates, but himself as well. "I really do. For me. Not Shaw. But you...you don't have a reason?"

He couldn't help himself; it honestly wasn't any of his business, but if he was going to work with this woman, he needed to know.

Her face grew dark, gray eyes sparking dangerously, "I've got plenty of reasons; don't doubt that. But don't assume this is a game to me, because it's not." Her face lightened considerably, and he felt the whiplash from the mood swing as she cocked her head and questioned, "So you're coming?"

He nodded wordlessly and she smirked, "Good deal." With that, she took a step back, still smirking, "I'll see you in Angel Grove then. Shaw's giving you till the end of the week to wrap everything up here. And with that, I'll be on my way. Don't wanna get stuck in the AG lunch rush."

Eric narrowed his eyes, "It's 6 in the morning. It takes at least 8 hours to get there."

Dinah quirked an eyebrow, "Maybe if you go the speed limit."

Wes snorted out a laugh, pointing at Eric and Del, "You might wanna be careful. Those two would just love to give you a ticket."

"You wanna give me a ticket?" She asked, staring Del down as she began to walk backwards down the hallway, "You're gonna have to catch me first."

Del watched her go, only faintly hearing Taylor's murmured 'Oh, I like her', and Eric's answering humble of 'You would'.

He was intrigued, far more than he should be, and despite the warning bells going of in his head.

She vanished out the door, into the bright sunlight.

~Ͻ Ϲ~

"How goes it there?" Dinah asked the person on the other line, watching from behind her sunglasses in the telephone booth as the guards came and went.

"He is a colossal prick," Analise snarled into the phone, ranting and raving. "He wants a private jet for a two hour flight!"

"How nice," Dinah said dryly, already dreading that man.

"How was yours?" Analise questioned curiously, and Dinah hummed, "He's...interesting. Kinda stiff, but I figure he'll open up eventually."

"Probably," Analise agreed, posing another question, "When are you leaving?"

Dinah leaned out of the booth, watching Myers command roughly five men to their squad cars, and in the direction of the exit to Angel Grove.

She smirked, tossing her head to the side, "Oh, right about now I figure. Eric Myers has a whole squad waiting for me to give me a ticket. Wouldn't want to disappoint them."

"Take care not to get arrested," Analise sighed fondly, "It's a long drive."

"Will do," Dinah replied airily, adding a quick 'See you soon' on the end.

"Don't wreck and die," Ana added quickly, and Dinah laughed, "Oh, come on now! I'm way better than that!"

**~Ͻ Ϲ~**

The various neon signs were the only bright thing in the otherwise dingy bar.

Del kept to himself, having claimed a table in the far back corner, a cold bottle of beer in his hand. It was too early for anyone but the heavy drinkers to be here, and he found himself in sparse company.

He was teaching designs on the condensation on the brown glass when Eric pulled out the chair besides him and sat down. He motioned to get the bartender's attention, then held up four fingers; the man nodded, and Eric turned back silently.

He was a man of few words, but Del didn't really know if there was anything to say. And if there was, he didn't know what it was.

Wes and Jen joined them soon enough, and then Taylor came in the door right after. After they were all seated and has beverages in hand, Jen grinned at him, "Are you excited?"

"I...I'm not sure I'm going..." He winced, prepared for the various looks of shock and confusion on his friend's faces. Taylor was the only one that didn't look the least bit surprised.

"But it's an honor to be chosen to mentor Rangers," Wes frowned, confused. After all, in his position, Del knew there would be no question.

It was complicated. His entire life was here in Silver Hills, and he owed these people everything, for giving him a chance to get his life straight so many years ago. He wasn't sure he was comfortable leaving just yet.

"I mean...she even told me there was a chance this would never pan out," Del sighed, conflicted. Eric narrowed his eyes, "She raced my team out of town. I'm not sure her judgement is sound."

"And we aren't going to replace you," Jen smiled kindly, giving his big hand a reassuring squeeze, "we can't replace you. Your spot is open and will stay that way until you come back. So don't worry about that."

He smiled slightly, and when Taylor leaned back in her chair, he knew he was in for it.

"Look, we can sit and tell you how its an honor, that it's fulfilling," Taylor said seriously,"but you're a grown man. You're smart, and you think things through. But when it comes down to it, you're the only one that can make this decision. It's your life. You'll have to be the one that makes the choice."

You could always depend on Taylor to give it to you straight, that was for sure. He nodded, swallowing the rest of his beer before motioning to the tender for another.

Wes leaned forward, grinning, "Sooooo?"

"One more," Del smiled, holding up a finger, "then I gotta go home and pack."


	6. Episode V Capability

**A.N. We would like to thank each and every reader that has made it this far. We have seen lovely reviews, and killer numbers so far, with many, many more to come hopefully. Our writing is still ongoing, but everyday we make some progress on the story as a whole, even when we're just talking it to death! Hope to see you all at the end. :) -LilMissFerret  
**

* * *

**Episode V**

**Capability**

Analise was curled up on the front porch of the big house, chewing absentmindedly on her fingernails as she read one of her books. It was an old one, one of her favorites that she'd read a dozen or more times, with the spine falling apart and the cover hanging on by just a few threads.

The place was pleasantly quiet; Tony was tinkering away in the basement, and Dinah had disappeared to her own place a little while before, leaving her alone. That was until a sleek, silver sports car pulled into the drive, closely followed by a bumbling moving truck.

Intrigued, Ana pulled herself into a better position, yanking her sunglasses down so she could get a better view. But she was highly disappointed when the car came to a stop, and out stepped her new colleague.

Cain's spiked black hair glistened in the sunlight, and, she hated to admit it, he actually looked quite sharp in his dark jeans and silver dress shirt. With his dark glasses on it was a little hard to tell if he had spotted her yet, so she decided to play innocent, reclining back into her chair and settling for watching him from over the edge of her book.

It really was a shame that he had to be such an ass; he was quite nice to look at with his trim body and eerily beautiful eyes. She quickly lost track of what she was doing, thoroughly distracted just watching him talk to the movers and strut across the yard.

That would be a bad habit, she knew, but it was still hard to tear her eyes away, until his strutting started bringing him up the path in her direction. Embarrassed, Ana knew her cheeks had gone red, but she insisted on pretending to read.

"Are you aware that I can hear your heartbeat from across the yard?" Cain asked, as he strode up the wooden steps. He quirked one of his jet-black eyebrows, and gave her a devilish little smirk. "Do I make you nervous, Analise?"

She had to fight to hold his gaze, but there was nothing she could do to make her tongue work. She settled for a weak shake of her head, which only seemed to make him more pleased.

**o.O.o**

He had noticed her from the moment he pulled up. The unremarkable girl that had somehow caught his interest, sitting on the front porch, and eyeing him curiously from her lounge chair.

Cain stepped out of his Lamborghini, leaving his lazy mutt, Bandit, asleep in the back. His team of movers had pulled up behind him, waiting in their truck for more instructions before they, too, piled onto the lawn. He decided to humor the poor girl, pretending not to have noticed her or her very obvious staring.

He approached the truck, sparing a few moments to take in this new place. It was far more open than he expected, set back outside of town. It was also a lot greener than most of southern California, although still nothing close to the place he had once called home.

Altogether it was certainly a step up from his apartment, and would work perfectly with his new, albeit temporary, occupation. The higher ups at NASADA had not taken kindly to his sudden leave of absence, but they would be begging him back soon enough.

Unsure about which of the dwellings scattered across the property was actually his, Cain left the help and started towards the main house. Up on the porch, Analise shifted uncomfortably, and he listened as her heartbeat raced in her chest.

"Are you aware that I can hear your heartbeat from across the yard?" he asked, amused by her deep blush, wondering just what it was she had been thinking about. "Do I make you nervous, Analise?" He liked the way her name rolled off his tongue, and, once he spotted her shiver, thought that she did, too.

Her dark eyes met his, shining with a defiant edge. Despite that, she didn't seem to be able to form a coherent sentence, and simply shook her head at him.

Cain was having far too much fun at the poor girl's expense, but there was something about her he couldn't quite place, something that made her far more appealing than she had been at first glance. He also liked the fact that she wasn't about to run from him, at least anytime soon, despite what he was doing to her. Obviously she liked it; whether she would admit it or not was another story.

"Care to show me around?" he asked, breaking the prolonged silence. "I'd like to get my things put away before one of these fools break something important."

"Oh," she returned quietly, like she had only just realized why he was there at all. "Of course, yeah. Yours is that one," she said, pointing to one of the houses. "Dinah's is the one across the yard from yours, I'm on the right, and Del's is the one on your left."

"That's it? No grand tour?" he chided. "Where's your sense of hospitality?"

"There's not much to see, really. And the door should be unlocked," she hedged, trying to get him to leave, he was sure.

Cain propped himself against one of the tall posts supporting the roof. "That's no way to treat your new house mate, now is it?"

Analise huffed, an unattractive noise completed with a roll of her chocolate eyes. "You seem pretty capable to me, Cain."

"Oh, you have no idea," he laughed, suddenly righting himself and disappearing towards his new place.

**o.O.o**

He had not been expecting much, not once he had gotten a good look at the exterior of his pathetic little house, but this was far worse than he had imagined. The place was an absolute disaster, and he had certainly not been coerced into this position so he could live in a hovel.

Cain spun around, slamming the door behind him so hard that the glass panes rattled in their frames, freezing the two men that were following him. He had been told that he had a way with people, a way of making grown men three times his size panic under his gaze, much the way these two were.

"Get out of the way," he growled, stomping his way back towards the larger house in the center.

The moment he came into view Analise started laughing, first just a small giggle, and then she lost it, snickering into her hands as she tried to be quiet. Cain had no time for her silly games, taking the stairs in two great steps and quickly shortening the distance between them.

Even then, with only a foot and a half of space between them and murder burning in his blue-violet eyes, she was laughing. She couldn't even speak for lack of air.

"I don't find this amusing in the slightest," he told her, making sure to lace his words with a dangerous edge. Unfazed, Analise took one long look at him, tears filling up in her eyes, and continued on her way. "How am I expected to be here and work when my living quarters are in a state of ruin?"

"Hey!" she managed, trying to catch her breath. "I cleaned it!"

"Cleanliness is the least of my worries. There is a gigantic whole in the front wall! And the floor is ripped to shreds!" Cain barked at her, throwing up his hands.

The girl shook her head at him, "It's just a bit of drywall and tearing up the linoleum. The floors are actually in pretty good shape if you're in to the wood."

He scowled at her, "And I'm expected to put in all of this work? Just so I can do Shaw's bidding?"

"Well, you seem pretty capable to me, Cain," Ana scoffed, before finally regaining all of her composure. "We have to live here, you might as well decorate the way you want. Go pick some paint colors, it's really not that hard. You won't have to lift a finger."

She was attempting to win his game, which was something Cain refused to stand for. "You are of absolutely no use," he finished, waving off her response. He made his way to the main door, refusing to even look at her anymore. He would fix this, even if he had to go to Shaw himself.

**o.O.o**

How on earth she had ended up here was beyond her. Analise knelt in the floor, pulling the lid off of a can of paint. The paint was a pretty color at least, a pale gray, even though he was intending to paint the entire place the same color. She had attempted to reason with him, to tempt him into using some actual colors here and there, but it was no use.

Her own house was just about every color of the rainbow it seemed. She had used pink, red, blue, and green, and that was just for the walls. Cain wouldn't admit it, but he was afraid of color. It had been hard enough to get him to pick this one, let alone anything else. Still, paint colors were the least of her worries. She still wasn't sure how she had been roped into actually helping him paint the damn place.

Cain strode in a few minutes later, just as she was finishing up her prep work. He was looking especially moody today, dressed far too nicely to be painting anything.

"What are you wearing?" she asked. "You do know that the paint will get all over you by the time we're done, right?"

"Perhaps you might get covered, but I have a little more skill than that."

That she highly doubted. In fact, if she had to wager a guess, Analise assumed that he had never painted anything in his life, let alone an entire house. "We'll see about that. Come get a brush," she told him, holding out one of the paintbrushes for him to use. "You take one corner and I'll take another. Hopefully this won't take us forever."

Cain looked like he wanted to say something, but stopped short, clamping his jaw shut and moving to take the object out of her hand. She breathed a sigh of relief as he disappeared to his own side of the room, quietly working in the back ground so she could concentrate on what she was doing.

This had been her father's line of work, and she prided herself on knowing her way around a jobsite. Painting was her favorite part of the process, and it was easy for her to get lost in the motion, careful not to get paint on anything but the wall and her hands.

Sitting in the floor wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world, especially on the hard wood, but Ana managed to get everything done around the baseboard before needing to stretch.

After resting her brush on top of one paint can, Analise climbed to her feet, stretching her back. She turned, knowing she was going to need the ladder to reach the ceilings, only to come face to face with a painter's nightmare.

"What are you doing!" she shouted, dancing around the obstacles as she made it to Cain's side, ripping the brush out of his hand. "You can't just paint the whole damn wall with the brush!"

Cain glared at her, "I can paint any way I please. This is my house."

Analise placed a hand on her hip, shaking the poor, paint-covered brush in his face, "You're going to see that. There will be streaks all over the place. And brush marks."

"Get back to your own work then, and leave me be."

"Whatever," she huffed, placing the brush back in his outstretched hand. "But don't count on me to fix it when your perfectionist little brain can't stand the mess you've made come tomorrow." She left him then, snagging the ladder while she was at it. Cain made a little noise of disapproval, but he didn't say anything else.

Only once she was finished with her bit did Analise return to check on him. Much to her amazement, he hadn't really done that bad. After that first initial shock, where he had painted half of the wall from floor to the very edge of his reach, Cain had actually listened to her.

From that spot on he had started truly trimming out the wall, and he had gotten both of his walls done. Of course she had given him the two walls without many details, and she had all of the windows and the main door.

Ana didn't want to call him out on his change of pace, knowing that it would only serve to cause another argument. "Hey, Cain?" she asked, drawing his attention away from his work. "I'm taking a break, 'kay? The rolling won't take very long, and then we can move on to a different room if you want."

The strange man looked back up at her, "I suppose. We have wasted most of the day on this nonsense already."

"You could have hired someone else to do this, you know. You said you wanted to do it yourself," she reminded him, suddenly reaching out and tugging on the material clinging to his shoulder. "Come on, let's go get something to eat. I'm starving."

Cain snorted, "You have no idea what it is to starve."

"Not the point," she said, letting her hand fall as he rose from the ground.

Something about his eyes changed, going cloudy and dark, and the tension in the room suddenly doubled. Feeling uneasy, Analise stepped away, forcing a smile onto her face.

Cain followed her, silently watching her, making her wonder just what it was that had made him like this.


	7. Episode VI Wilde

**Episode VI**

**Wilde  
**

When he entered the big house, still half-asleep and rubbing fatigue from his eyes, Del noticed that the large structure was completely empty. He wandered into the living room, and then into the kitchen. There were dirty dishes in the sink, and the faint scent of bacon still wafted about, but there was no one to be seen.

He grabbed a cup of the leftover coffee, quickly heating it in the microwave before heading out onto the porch.

The golden Mercedes was gone, and along with it Shaw, apparently. Analise's small, magenta Subaru was also nowhere to be seen, and the silver Lamborghini was missing, as well. His old, burnt orange Ford was on the far left, and the only other vehicle was Dinah's motorcycle. The Janus Halcyon glinted in the rising sun, blue flickering in the seemingly-black paint.

He headed toward her house, not knowing what else to do.

He gently pushed the front door open, sticking his head inside to look around. It didn't take but a minute to see the woman asleep, curled up in a massive recliner, a black cat curled up on the back of it. He turned to close the door, and when he turned back around, both the woman and the cat cracked open their left eye to look at him.

He stilled, eyes widening ever so slightly; that was...creepy? Unsettling? _Interesting_? He snapped his hanging jaw shut, settling on all three of those, and the cat hopped off the chair. When the cat was a safe distance away, Dinah rolled her feet over her head, the chair going with the movement. His heart stopped for a moment, but it was pointless to be worried. She landed perfectly on her feet, and the chair rocked a bit, but landed back on the floor as well.

She stretched, arms high above her head, before doubling over in a long, arched back stretch. His attention was pulled away when the cat wound its way around and between his legs, and he crouched, rubbing a big palm over its head with a small smile.

"That's Salem," She explained with a quiet, fond smile, walking over and ducking to gather up the cat. She placed her on the counter and began fishing around in the fridge, "I got her in Tibet, when I was sixteen. Been my shadow ever since."

He nodded silently, watching her pour the feline a saucer of milk, before sticking the jug back in the fridge and pouring herself a glass of water of her own. He was rather surprised when she opened a cabinet and pulled out a pill bottle, taking a couple of the small capsules. She turned just slightly, her face a mask to him, but he fumbled to catch the bottle when she tossed it at him.

She took a drink as he read the bottle, eyebrows darting up toward his unruly hair, "Antidepressant?"

"Some of us need a little help," Dinah said, holding her hand out for the bottle. Del passed it back over, and was faced with her full attention when she leaned against the counter, "What brings you here, Freckles?"

He gave her a dry look at the nickname, but remained silent; he'd learned _quickly_ that there would be no changing her mind. He sat down on a John Deere bar stool, replying lamely, "Everyone else was gone."

She nodded, tapping her nails against the counter. She looked over his shoulder, out the window, and he fidgeted on the stool.

When she'd marched into the Silver Guardians' Headquarters, in leather with a motorcycle helmet, he had his first impression - rebellious, unruly, and aloof. Someone he wasn't sure he wanted to be spending too much time around, not after his teenage years...

He'd spent a long time running with people like that. Dangerous, careless, vicious people. People that killed for money, and even worse, killed for fun. All it would take was one misstep to fall off the wagon, and he just couldn't do that.

The Silver Guardians had turned everything around, become his life, and he'd got some irreplaceable friends. They hadn't judged him, hadn't mistrusted him, and had only helped him grow and leave that past behind.

He was resolute that a pretty face wouldn't change that.

But then, when he'd packed up and left everything he loved behind, the woman he saw was something else, nothing like the confident, almost arrogant, one that had been sent to fetch him. This one was almost _innocent_, flinging different colored paints about in a humorous, abstract method of painting the living room. She had even gone so far as to dip her short, dark hair in the can of yellow and throw her head about, splashing it over the walls and ceiling and even him.

Analise had fallen over laughing, as Cain stormed out, yellow stark against the purplish-black of his hair, and Dinah had nearly follow suit, hands braced on her knees. The laughter was infectious, and he found himself not only not mad, but completely unbothered and amused by the action.

But it had been busy, hectic even, and he hadn't had the chance to see that other persona again. She was quiet and aloof as he'd first assumed, and he was...well he was _thrown_. He could deal with one, or the other, but the bouncing back and forth was damn near giving him whiplash.

She straightened suddenly, and he jerked, drawn from his thoughts. She smiled, "Any plans today?"

"Not really...?" He drawled, and she smiled wider, "Good. Let's go out."

He blanched, then blushed, and was _eternally grateful _that she had already turned, vanishing deeper into the house. He could hear her tossing stuff around, and watched a black helmet roll down the hall.

His blush returned when her black, oversized T-shirt flew out into the hall, hitting the wall and sliding down, then her bra, and she called out, "Go change. We're gonna go for a ride."

He fled; he didn't need to be told twice.

~Ͻ Ϲ~

As they parked at the market, he recalled her challenge when they'd first met, how she would fly to reach Angel Grove from Silver Hills in a ridiculously small amount of time.

Yeah, well that was a _lie_.

She drove _far_ too sensibly to have flown back to Angel Grove like she had _claimed_ she would, and she almost seemed to be taking the turns with extra care.

She tossed a leg over the bike, standing, and he remained sitting, yanking his helmet off with frustration.

Surely he'd just _never_ understand her.

But she wasn't waiting on him, so he jogged after her.

It was still early, so only the early birds were out, meaning the crowds were manageable. They were just entering the doors—and he just felt _weird_ in civilian clothes, a pale orange Henley and ripped jeans, while his companion was in a leather coat and knee-high boots—when she literally _shoved_ past him.

He tottered on his feet, barely keeping his balance, and backtracked to see why the hell she had bolted.

He was _shocked_ to see her lifting bags from an elderly lady's cart into the trunk of her Buick. The little woman smiled, and Dinah grinned at her, ducking her head with a faint blush as the woman praised her. She ducked away a moment later, and the lady drove off.

Dinah jogged after him, tossing a quick sorry over her shoulder as she passed him.

He stared after her.

_What the fuck_?

~Ͻ Ϲ~

She had drug him around town, here and there, pointing out some of the most random places, and made sure he had at least a passing knowledge of the town and the more important locations, like the grocery store, hospital, bank, post office, and other such buildings.

The sun was just beginning to sink over the horizon when she pulled the bike over in a small gravel lot with a large wooden sign that read _Angel Grove Park_.

She dismounted smoothly, but he remained seated, tugging the helmet off, "Why are we here?"

"Nowhere better to be?" She shrugged, settling her helmet on the handlebars. When he looked at her with drawn brows, she quirked one of her own, "Got somewhere to be? Hot date I don't know about?"

He shook his head, making a small noise, "No...I left her back in Silver Hills."

She looked moderately surprised, and sounded completely sincere, "Sorry. I didn't know."

"Don't worry about it," he replied, surprising himself with his next statement as he kicked a leg over the bike, "doesn't matter. It wouldn't have worked out anyway."

She nodded, then smiled kindly, "Look, this place is beautiful. It'll take your mind off it."

He nodded, following her through the gate and into the park proper.

It was huge, lush and green with trees, thick grass, and a massive lake at the center of it. He could see the faint silhouettes of a couple playgrounds, and there were several benches scattered about, with a wide path of pebbles connecting it all.

She smiled at his bewildered expression, and quietly asked, "So, you wanna wander, or go to my favorite spot?"

He looked at her, smiling slightly, "Lead the way, boss lady."

She laughed quickly, bowing playfully before heading to the left. He followed, falling into step beside her, and noticed how the park was completely empty. Her chosen path lead further from the main part of the park and deeper into a copse of trees.

Suddenly, she veered off the path, vanishing into the brush at the side, and he scrambled to follow. He blindly headed straight through the bushes, thinking he saw a wavering branch as an indicator of her direction. Finally, he emerged on the other side.

The quiet hush of a small waterfall filled the tiny clearing, and he spotted her yanking her boots off. She grinned over her shoulder, "It feeds the lake itself. There are several of them scattered around, but they're off-limits to avoid pollution of the lake."

"Off-limits?" He asked dryly, and she shrugged, tossing her shoes to the side with a coy grin, "_Typically_. I have a friend or two in the Wildlife Preservation chapter around here. Trust me, the last thing I would ever want to do is pollute this lake. I _love_ it."

Here was another facet, and it was possibly the most interesting of all. Such sincerity, such..._passion_. He watched her stick her feet in the water, sighing dreamily before falling back to look up at the sky. He followed her line of sight, amazement filling him at the sight of a full, silver moon rising above the top of the trees.

He headed over to a rickety bench that shook when he put his considerable weight down on it, one leg sinking into the ground. She joined him a minute later, pants rolled up to her knees, and the silence only lasted for a few short moments before she randomly said, "So...let's hear what you think about me."

He blanched, thankful it was too dark to be seen, and stuttered, "W-what do you mean?"

She looked at him from the corner of her eye, smirking knowingly, "You met me in Silver Hills. You got your first impression. You've had a day to get a few more. I wanna hear them."

He floundered awkwardly, stumbling over his words, "I don't—it doesn't—I don't think I—"

"_Let me guess_," She interrupted, falsely innocent and thoughtful, "aloof, reckless bitch. Delinquent that breaks speed limits for no other reason than she can. Playgirl. Heart-breaker. Man-eater. Unable to be trusted. Did I get it? Or most of it, anyway?"

He winced, mouth moving but no sound coming out. He finally gave a small nod, and she laughed quietly, "It's okay. You're not the first, you won't be the last. _But_ I will have you _know_, I only sped long enough to get out of Myers' district, I haven't been on a date since I was eighteen, and I promise to you, I will take any secrets you trust me with to the grave."

He yanked his head around watching her, and she rested her chin in her hand, wiggling with curious excitement, "So...what do you think of me _now_?"

Watching her shift from badass to a curious child, he shook his head in disbelief; laughing with bewilderment and near hysteria, he nervously shoved a hand through his hair, "Honestly, I don't know _what _the hell to think of you."

She laughed, bright and loud in the darkness, clapping her hands, "I love it."

He didn't really want to, but felt honor-bound, so he inquired with a small voice, "What about me? What do you think of me?"

She turned on the bench, drawing one leg up as she rested the other along the back, and her toes were cold on his leg, even through his jeans. Her smile was small, but honest, and he held back a grimace as she leaned on the arm of the bench, "Honestly, I think you're a little stiff."

His shoulders slumped, but she placed a friendly hand on his shoulder, "I get it. I do. I don't know _what happened_ to you, when you were young, but I know damage when I see it. I've been there. I don't _need_ to know what happened, and I get that you had to be rigid in the Silver Guardians, but a schedule is _no way_ to live your life."

He looked up at her curiously, and she smiled, her teeth white in the night, "I mean, just _little_ things. Don't shave every morning. Don't wake up at five or six AM sharp every morning. Don't count calories—which I _know_ you do. Have an extra cup of coffee. Laze about for a day. You're not in the Silver Guardians right now...just _live_ a little."

"I used to," He said quietly, leaning back with a heavy sigh. "I used to have fun, but then...I just..."

"I don't think you know _how_ anymore," Dinah commented, and Del shot her a mildly nasty look, "_Yes_, I do."

"Oh, _really_?" She inquired, and dread sank in his stomach like a stone. She stood, hands on her hips, "You know how to have fun, do you? Well, I want _proof_. Let's _skinny dip_."

His eyes grew the size of saucers, and he hissed, "Are you _crazy_? This is a _public park_!"

"And it's nearly midnight," She rolled her eyes, dragging the hem of her shirt over her head. He looked away, shaking his head, "This is an _off-limits area_, you said it yourself! What makes you think this won't be the _first place they check_?"

"Because out of the four that cover this area, one is on maternity leave, the other is on vacation, the Police Chief works night shift, and though the sheriff works nights, he's got a _lot_ of paperwork to catch up on," She said instantly. "They won't be coming here tonight. But if you're _scared..."_

He bristled, growling, "I'm not _scared_."

"Then _prove it_," she challenged, wiggling out of her jeans. He felt a burst of courage, and jumped up before it left him, yanking his shirt over his head. He was working on his belt when she let out a low whistle, "Damn boy. You hide some _nice_ eye-candy under those baggy clothes."

He turned bright red as the belt slipped from his pants, and then he was hit in the face with a black bra. He pulled it off him, turning even brighter red, and she laughed, "I can throw the underwear at you too, if you think you can go any redder."

"You're a horrible person," he grumbled, feeling a thrill despite himself. She laughed, "That _is_ popular consensus."

She disappeared into the water, and he stripped the rest of the way down, slipping in much more quietly than she had. She popped up from under the water, a good five feet away, bangs wet and down in her eyes as she grinned, "Not so bad, was it?"

"You are _fucking crazy_," he laughed, and she shrugged, "I try."

He rested against the side of the small pond, while she swam around, and just blurted, "What do I think of you _now_? I think you're a fucking _wild card._"

Her laughter echoed off the trees, loud enough to scare a flock of birds from their sleep.


	8. Episode VII Spike

**A.N. And so Spike makes his first appearance! I love Spike. He's everything I love about Skull, but sooo much better!**

* * *

**Episode VII**

**Spike**

Morning at Spike's house was a bit of a disaster. He wasn't much of a morning person; even after his alarm had gone off it had taken him another fifteen minutes before he had actually crawled out of bed.

He wasn't looking forward to his first real day back in Angel Grove. His father had picked him up from Panorama City almost a week before, but he'd seen no reason to venture out.

Spike dug through a heaping pile of clothes, trying to find something to wear. While he should have already put everything away, he didn't really care that much - even if he had to sniff each garment before putting it on.

Dressed in one of his favorite skull-print t-shirts, and a blue bandana that, from under his hat, stood in stark contrast to his primarily black outfit, he slid out of his bedroom. The whole house smelt like breakfast, especially bacon. Stomach grumbling, Spike took the stairs two at a time, hand glued to the railing out of sheer habit, only to be stopped by his mother's shout.

"Felix! Tie your shoes!"

Spike groaned. He absolutely hated that name, but no matter how many times he had told her that, it was always the same. His mother knew him well, though, and sure enough, when he paused to look down at his feet, his shoelaces were dangling dangerously over the edge of his sneakers.

He fixed the issue, then continued on his way, almost running into his father as the man exited the bathroom.

Skull was busy trying to button the front of his shirt, dressing for work at the local police department. "Sorry, Dad!" Spike said, stumbling out of the way and into one of his mother's hall tables. A vase tumbled off, bouncing on the plush carpet.

He didn't worry too much about that, though. His mother had purposefully protected the entire house, from the extra-thick carpet to her shatterproof décor. Clumsiness seemed to run in their family.

His mother smiled at him from the stove as he walked in. She was dressed head to toe in pink, her light brown hair tied up in a smart bun. Spike didn't resemble his mother much, save for her warm brown eyes. His sisters were up and ready as well, chattering wildly from their places at the table.

"Hey, Spike!" Roxy called, looking up from her pancakes.

The girls were complete opposites; Roxy, the younger of the two, was sweet and calm, and unlike her other siblings, she was light on her feet. She resembled a small version of their mother. Trixie, on the other hand, was all attitude, prissy beyond measure, and even at thirteen the only thing that mattered more than shoes was her sparkle-coated nails. She was an airhead, and the only one that had inherited Skull's pale blue eyes.

"Ugh," Trixie groaned when he sat down beside her. "What're you wearing, Spike?"

"Shut up," he said quietly, in an effort to keep his mom, Kim, out of the discussion.

It was a waste of breath, as she spun about in the next moment, setting down a plate in front of him. "Be nice, Trix," she chided her older daughter as she straightened his hat. "It's so nice to have you home, sweetie."

It was nice to be home, if nothing else. Uncle Bulk was great and all, but it had been a little rough with him, especially when the money had started getting tight. As much as he hated Angel Grove, only his crazy family really understood him.

"Skull!" Kim called, finishing up with breakfast and setting her own plate out. "Time to eat!"

Their father came in a minute later, strangely proper looking in his work attire. Spike had never really understood why his dad had stayed with the department; he didn't really fit in with the others, although he seemed to like the job well enough. The man was glad to have Bulk back in town, though.

Before he had left for the city, Spike had heard every story his parents had to tell about their antics in high school, and the couple years they had been together afterward. Kim had always said he got his love of heroes honestly, and when the Power Rangers had resurfaced after a few years, popping up in Bulk's area no less, he had jumped at the chance to get close to them.

It had been the perfect escape– the chance for something more– but now he was back. Listening to his sisters bicker and his parents discussing the trivialities of everyday life, he had the feeling he was just there- an extra side note to the family, an unimportant speck in the grand scheme of things.

**o.O.o**

An hour later, Kim had dropped him off on her way to work. Leaving him standing on the sidewalk, staring at the massive brick building of Angel Grove High School.

Spike hated school. Everything about this place made his skin crawl. He didn't have anything to look forward to at all, and had wished that the summer could have lasted forever. He didn't have a say in the matter, however, and so here he was, praying that his life would just end already and save him the torture.

A steady stream of teenagers thundered past him, laughing and shouting as friends reunited. A pack of football players were leaning against the wall by the door, the cheerleaders only a few feet away; the band geeks claimed their own corner of the lawn. All across the campus students were grouping up, forming their familiar cliques.

Spike didn't have the luxury of a group to call his own. He'd had friends in the past, but everyone got tired of him eventually. He was too strange, or too clumsy, or too dumb. He couldn't even walk straight, let alone do anything else. Not even his own sisters could tolerate him most days, and Trixie was almost as bad as he was.

He couldn't stand in the same spot all day, though. It took all of the will power he could muster to push his way through the crowd, avoiding as many feet as he could in the process. With his eyes cast down, a habitual form of defensive deference, he didn't see Andy until he had run right into him.

The school's quarterback and local bully was a towering monster, even at seventeen. Andy spun around, standing at least a head and a half taller than Spike, and three times as wide.

"What are you-" he sneered, before stopping mid-sentence, caught off guard when he realized just who had walked into him. "Well look who it is boys! Skullovitch came crawling back home!" he laughed. "Where have you been? Not off chasing the Power Rangers, were you?"

Spike averted his eyes, his face blood red. This was his greatest reason that he didn't want to be here. Having no friends and making a fool of himself weren't nearly as bad as having to listen to the inevitable mockery his return would bring.

"Come on," Andy laughed, pushing him back with a shove to the shoulder. "Did ya forget how to talk, dweeb?"

He tried to say something, anything to talk himself out of this mess, but it only came out as a squeak. Andy and his buddies began to crowd him, driving his heart rate higher and higher as the panic grew. He was completely blocked in, forced to listen to their jeering calls and derisive laughter.

He was trapped, frozen in place. His eyes darted around wildly, searching for an escape route. Defeated, Spike shrank, making himself as small as he could, screwing his eyes shut in preparation for the first blow, only to be interrupted by an angry shout.

"Hey, Matthews! Why don't you go find a real hobby?"

Andy spun on his heel, cracking his knuckles as he scowled at the offender.

Spike almost didn't recognize her at first, it had been so long. Alex Oliver stood only a few feet away, her dark hair done up in braids and her gray eyes flashing with something fierce. She'd changed quite a bit in the year and a half he'd been gone. She was taller, more filled out and toned, but from the look in her eyes, she hadn't lost any of that famous attitude.

"Ah, shut up, Alex. Why don't you go play with your little friends like a good girl?" Andy called, earning a few appreciative laughs from his buddies.

But Alex's little friends were coming out of the wood work. He knew them, too; they'd gone to school together since kindergarten. That group was their own little thing, a mix of everyone, drawn together because of their good nature and familial connections. While Jaime Park and Ellie DeSantos stood nearby, ready to help if need be, it was Logan Scott and Ian Taylor that were ready for a brawl.

Spike was dumbstruck that someone might come to his aid, let alone seem ready to tangle with his tormentors. Most of his peers just looked the other way in fear of getting the stuffing beaten out of them. He'd never been on their radar before, and he hadn't blamed them; they didn't care for him, and he wouldn't have wished the punishment he often received on his worst enemies.

Just as he hoped he might be free, Andy jerked his head back in Spike's direction, giving orders to his cronies. "Hold him while I deal with this mess."

The two closest guys grabbed him roughly, one on each arm, yanking him into an unnatural position in an effort to keep him still. It was a waste of time; he knew better than to run. They only made it worse when he did.

All he could do was watch as Andy closed the distance between himself and Alex, getting up in her face. "This doesn't concern you, Alex. We're just having a little fun with Spike."

Alex rolled her eyes, crossing her arms defiantly, "Cut the bullshit, Andy. Go find whatever hole you crawled out of and leave him alone."

"She's a sexy little thing when she's angry, ain't she guys?" Andy laughed, before making the mistake of stretching out one hand to brush a finger across Alex's cheek. In a flash of movement Alex struck, so fast Spike had almost missed the hit, and Andy was staggering back, clutching his nose. "You little bitch!"

He lunged at her then, blood spouting out of his unquestionably broken nose, but he never got close. Alex slipped out of his reach in one fluid movement, fixing him with a smug grin when he landed face first on the sidewalk, shrieking in pain.

His little gang took only a moment to gather themselves before they, too, were on her, dropping Spike in the process. Spike scurried out of their way, dragging his bag with him, still trying to keep an eye on the commotion.

Alex could certainly take care of herself, but her bodyguards had formed up around her, waiting on the next thug to strike a blow, when they were broken up by a team of teachers chasing towards them. The teachers were shouting and forcing their way in between the teenagers, half of them out of breath from running outside.

"Fighting!" one older lady said angrily, yanking two of the boys off the ground by their ears. "Of all the days!"

Spike breathed a sigh of relief for the moment, thoroughly distracted until a tiny girl in pink came to his side, concern darkening her blue eyes.

"Are you okay?" she asked, helping him off the ground.

He nodded silently as Ellie patted him down, knocking loose a few strands of grass from his skull printed shirt. "Alex shouldn't have done that," he said quietly. "He just gets worse when you fight."

Ellie clicked her tongue at him, much the way his mother did when she was disappointed in him. "Don't worry about it, Spike. Nothing's going to happen."

He didn't believe her, but there was no reason to argue with her sunny optimism. Andy had been picking on him consistently since second grade, and he wasn't liable to stop anytime soon. "Well… Uh," he started, unsure what else there was to say when he was saved by the first bell. Maybe he did have someone looking out for him after all.

Ellie looked towards the sound, before turning back to Spike with a smile. "Time to go. But you'll come sit with us at lunch, right? The others won't mind," she assured him, batting her eyes at him while she waited for his answer.

"Um... I guess..." he stuttered.

"Oh, yay!" she said happily. "See you then!"

Spike watched as she bounced her way toward the front door, joining up with the rest of her friends, leaving him a little lost.


	9. Episode VIII Ellie

**Episode VIII**

**Ellie**

Lunch arrived quickly enough, signaled by the sharp ring of the bell, and the excited chaos of students rushing into the halls. The first three periods had been easy- simply the teachers trying to corral the students into some kind of order, while simultaneously introducing them to their new subjects.

The cafeteria was full to bursting when she walked in, hundreds of loud, unruly teenagers scattered all across the room. Running behind due to stopping at her locker, Ellie was able to drop off her purse before jumping in line.

Alex and Jaime were already seated, deep in conversation as they picked at their chicken nuggets. They acknowledged her presence for a split second before Jaime finished his thought, "And Mrs. Appleby said we'd be reading Macbeth this year."

Ellie disappeared before she got dragged into that lovely conversation. It wasn't that she didn't like books, but she was much more into her Nicholas Sparks novels than those dull classics.

She reached the line easily, slipping in with Logan and Ian, who were already halfway through. Her fellow students barely noticed the intrusion, but she kept an eye out for any watchful teachers.

"Hey, Ellie," Ian said to her, propping himself against the cinder block wall to their right. "How was class?"

She shrugged, toying with a loose string on her pink skirt. "Just like always, I guess."

"Well," Ian continued, nodding over at Logan. "You'll never believe what happened in math."

"Come on, dude. It's not that great," Logan groaned next to her.

"Sure, sure. Tiffany just hands you her phone number every day of the week," the darker boy laughed. "No biggie."

"Tiffany?" Ellie asked, careful with her tone. "Not Tiffany Richards, right?"

"Who else?"

Logan slapped one of his massive hands over his face, but Ellie hardly noticed for seeing red.

Tiffany was the head cheerleader, all bouncy curls and luscious curves. She was drop-dead gorgeous, and she knew it. In some ways they were rivals, although Ellie wasn't usually one for competition. "You aren't actually going to go out with her, are you?" she asked, turning on Logan, her usually chipper voice clipped.

"What?" Logan responded, his dark eyes filled with horror. "No! Have you met her?"

"Yeah, rockin' body, those big green eyes…" Ian trailed off, earning scowls from his two friends. "Hey, don't judge!"

Ellie shook her head, surprised that they had already reached the kitchens. She rattled off her ID number, snagged one of the plastic trays, and filled her plate. The others followed suit as she led them back to their table, still a little unhappy about their earlier conversation. Out of habit, Ellie took the last seat on one side, across from Jaime. Logan sat down beside her, with Ian taking the seat to his right.

The seating arrangement was tight, mostly because the school tables had seats placed far too close together. Thankfully, Ian didn't feel the need to bring back up Logan's current affairs, instead turning to lighter topics, like the exciting start to their school year.

"So what happened to Andy?" Ellie asked; she had missed the end to their battle when she'd made to check on Spike.

It was Alex that answered her, "They drug them all to the office. He got suspended for the week, I think."

The group laughed, even though such an occurrence was fairly common. Just then, Ellie looked up, catching a glimpse of her new conquest standing just a few feet away, watching them warily.

"Spike!" she called, getting the boy's attention.

The others backed her up, Ian smacking the empty spot across from him. "We've got plenty of room. Come sit."

Spike moved cautiously, like he was afraid they were going to change their minds halfway through. She watched as he placed his belonging down on the floor, and took his seat, sitting on the edge on his chair, as far away from Alex as he could.

Ellie was glad that the others were taking this all in stride; she hadn't necessarily warned them before hand. None of them seemed phased, accepting the newcomer. Still, just because they'd been in the same school system from the beginning, didn't mean they had all that much in common.

"So, Spike," Ellie started, breaking the awkward silence currently blanketing their table, "how was your summer?"

The boy in question looked up sharply, jerking his head in her direction. "Uh, it was okay, I guess."

"Where have you been?" Ian asked between mouthfuls of mashed potatoes.

Spike had always been a quiet kid, sitting off by himself and minding his own business. If she really thought about it, this might have been the longest conversation they had ever had with him. "I-I was staying with my uncle. In Panorama City," he finally answered, trying not to make eye contact with any of them.

"Isn't that where the Power Rangers were?" she asked. You couldn't grow up in Angel Grove and not know about the Power Rangers. There might have been teams scattered up and down the west coast, but you couldn't beat the originals.

"Yeah," he said, the faintest of smiles gracing his face. "We uh, kinda ran into them a few times."

"Really? Dude that's sweet," Ian replied, to which they all agreed. "I'd kill to meet a real ranger."

After that the conversation moved swiftly from one topic to the next, as they tried to bring Spike out of his shell. They even earned one of his awful laughs, which only made them all laugh harder. Their fun was cut short when the bell rang once more, signaling the end of lunch.

They jumped out of their seats, pausing only to scrape their trays before splitting up. "See you guys later!" Ellie called, finding a place in the huge crowd pushing its way towards the math wing. Unfortunately, the day was still young, and she had four more classes to attend.

**o.O.o**

Ellie was thrilled to be home once school finally ended. She had charged through the door, leaving her sisters lingering in the hall. Once upstairs she had put away her school things, then sprawled across her bed.

She was reorganizing her stuffed animal collection when she heard her father come home. Rocky shut the door with his normal enthusiasm, shaking the entire house.

"Girls?" he called earning an excited squeal from her younger sister and a shrieked, "Daddy!" from the baby of the family.

Setting her red wolf plushie back down on her bed, she followed suit, darting down the stairs as fast as her feet could carry her. Rocky stood in the hall, his blue shirt cropped at the shoulders and stained with old sweat. The hall smelled like sweat too– a hazard they had quickly grown used to between his job teaching karate and coaching football in the evenings.

Rocky beamed at her as she approached him, "Hi, sweetie."

Matching his grin, Ellie fell into his offered hug. "You stink, Daddy," she reminded him, the smell almost overwhelming.

He managed to come up with a fake look of horror, before turning to his youngest and asking, "Do you think I stink, princess?"

Winnie was clutching onto their father's leg, completely carefree for the moment. "Yes you do!" she laughed.

They all laughed with her, Bianca especially. "Maybe you should go take a shower," she suggested, tossing her pretty brown hair over her shoulder.

"Well then," he said with a dramatic sniff. "Since you all are so mean, I don't suppose you want to go out for dinner, do you?"

"Oh, yes!" Ellie squealed, quickly followed by Bianca's, "Please, Daddy, please?"

"Okay, okay." he relented. "I'll jump in the shower while you three go get ready."

"Yay!" they shouted in unison, all three of them bolting towards the stairs in a hurried frenzy.

Rocky watched them go, lingering on Winona's careful grasping motion of the railing. She was getting along fine, just as Penny, her mother and his wife, had said she would, but he couldn't help his occasional worry for his baby girl.

**o.O.o**

Winona had to be especially careful, but here, in their own house, she didn't really need the help. Here was the only place she was really free of her disability, since she knew the place better than anything. Her blindness didn't really bother her, she was an absolutely normal eight year old, and it was just a fact of life for the rest of them.

Ellie knew she was lucky, the same could have very easily happened to her, or Bianca. Her baby sister would be just fine though, she was sure. Her mother did all kinds of amazing things with the same impairment.

Ellie loved her Daddy, just as much, but her mother was kind of a superhero in her eyes. Somehow she managed to take care of all three of them, keep their father in line, and work. How she managed was simply beyond the teenager, so when it came to her sister, Ellie was determined to see her succeed.

The three girls parted ways at the landing, disappearing into their bedrooms. Ellie flipped through her closet, which Alex had once said looked as if a flamboyance of flamingos had exploded in it, deciding on one of her prettier dresses for the evening. The neckline was low cut, but not obscenely so, with three rings of ruffles around the edges, and of course, it was very pink. She added a shiny pair of white kitten heels, and tied back part of her blonde hair, before curling the left over strands.

Ellie was putting the finishing touches on her makeup when Winnie made her entrance. She looked very pretty in her pale blue dress. Her hair was brushed out– parted just slightly to the right side of her face– and all of her clothes seemed to be in order.

Rocky might baby her beyond measure, but Penny had been very adamant that Winnie would be raised to take care of herself. She always dressed herself in the mornings, and was quite capable, but when it came to sprucing up she sometimes needed a little help.

"Ellie?" she asked, standing in the doorway.

"Come in," she replied, never taking her eyes off the mirror as she applied her lipstick. "Do you need something?"

The girl wandered in her direction, her hands outstretched as she felt for obstacles in her path. "What are you doing?" she asked, pausing when she found the vanity.

"Finishing my makeup," she answered, placing the cap back on and adding the tube to her collection. "You look pretty."

Winnie trailed her hands over her outfit, smoothing out a tiny wrinkle. "Not as pretty as you, I bet."

Ellie smiled, "How many times have I told you that you are prettier than me or Bianca?"

She laughed, "Bee gets so mad when you say that."

"Only because she knows it's true." Bianca was gorgeous herself, while something about the innocence in Winnie's expressions drew out her beauty even more. Ellie often felt like she had to try extra hard just to look decent. "Here, sit. I'll do your makeup, too."

The little girl beamed, easily following her sister as Ellie moved to seat her on the now-vacant stool. Winnie did everything she was asked to, closing her pale, sightless eyes as Ellie carefully applied the eye shadow, chattering away about her day at school.

"Come on girls! Time to go!" Penny shouted from downstairs, ending their moment.

"Coming!" she shouted back. "All right, all done," she declared after putting on the last bit of blush. "You look gorgeous!"

Winona giggled at her, climbing to her feet, and leading the way towards the stairs. They met the rest of the family in the hall, where Bianca, all decked out in lilac, was toying with her necklace while their father brushed a loose strand of hair behind Penny's ear.

Their mother smiled, resting her hand on his chest, feeling the smooth fabric of his blue dress shirt. Ellie watched them, mesmerized by how they could be all alone even when the entire room was full. She hoped she could find someone that treated her half as special as her father treated them all.

Her parents separated once the moment had passed, hands entwined together, and bright smiles on their faces. "All right, time to take my four favorite ladies for a wild night out on the town!" Rocky told them, leading the charge through the door and out to their car. As sweet as he was, Ellie highly doubted he knew anything about wild nights, but the girls happily followed. Everything was right in the world, for now at least, and that was perfectly fine with her.


	10. Episode IX Alex

**Episode IX**

**Ale****x**

The alarm blared, and the girl hit it with more force than strictly necessary. It crashed against the wood of her nightstand before silencing, after which Alex threw her blankets to the side.

She lifted her hands above her head, groaning loudly when her spine popped repeatedly. She laid there a moment longer, then drug herself from bed and silently made her way downstairs.

The house was blissfully silent, the time was just a few minutes after six in the morning, and her parents hadn't awoken yet. With a yawn, she set the coffee pot to percolating, and headed to the downstairs bathroom. She splashed water on her face and snagged three elastic bands for her hair, before heading back to the kitchen.

Perching herself on one of the bar stools, she set to weaving her hair into its trademark style- a thicker, messy braid hung to about mid-back, one of average thickness draped over her shoulder, and a tiny one hung at her opposite ear. The rest of the light brown locks waved wildly, and she never bothered to try and tame them.

The coffee pot beeped a moment later, and she poured herself a mug before heading to the computer desk and booting the machine up. She curled into the chair as the screen came to life, and when the mouse was finally responsive, double-clicked the Skype logo. She wasted no time logging in, and when that was done, sat back in the chair.

Within five minutes, the tell-tale chime sounded, and she clicked accept. Her brother's grainy face filled the screen, and he grinned a second later.

"Are they still not up?" Marcus asked, his blond hair wild. Alex shook her head, "Not yet. I'll roll 'em out in a few."

"Good," Marc said with palpable relief, blue eyes alight with excitement and mischief. "Because Mom would flip if she heard I went crocodile wrestling."

"You did not!" his sister gasped, leaning forward dangerously in the chair. "Marcus Timothy Oliver!"

"Alexandria Katrina Oliver!" he mocked, grinning again, "Did so. I have pictures."

"You little dork," she snorted playfully. "Can't get you on the Ferris wheel at the fair, but you wrestled a crocodile! I cannot believe you."

"It was Pop-Pop's idea," he shrugged. "I thought Grammy was gonna keel over. It was great."

Alex snorted with laughter, "Now I'd have liked to see that."

The creak of an old door came from down the hall, and Alex held a finger up to her lips, ending any talk about crocodiles. It had been hard enough to convince their mother to allow him to go stay a semester in Australia with her parents, and any talk of crocodile wrestling would surely have him on a plane back to the States immediately. It might be 6 AM in California, and early in the night in Australia, but that would not stop Katherine Oliver if she thought one of her children was in trouble.

Her mother brushed a kiss along her temple, then paused to blow a kiss to her son, who waved excitedly. Kat smiled at the boy who looked just like her, "How are you, sweetie?"

"Great!" he chirped, and their mother breathed a sigh of relief, "Good. Staying safe?"

"Of course," He scoffed, rolling his eyes. Alex quirked a brow, shaking her head. Her mother and brother chatted a bit while she checked her phone. She had a couple new texts messages; there was one from Jaime, asking about a paper due at the end of the week, and the other was from Logan.

That one held her attention far more than the other.

Logan's excessive use of shorthand in texting made his messages exceedingly hard to read, but she got the gist of the last few lines.

_Mathews sys ur a posr. Sys he cun beat u n race. Aftrskool, old warhaus._

She bit back a feral grin; she'd had one run-in with the moron earlier that week, and this would be the last one. She had better things to do than play with an overcompensating jackass.

"Hey, son."

Alex turned to her father-lacking his trademark spiky hair, much to her amusement-and rolled her eyes, "You're late. It's almost time to get off. He needs to go to bed and we need to get ready."

Tommy Oliver pouted pitifully, and Alex rolled her eyes one again, turning back to the screen, "Well, little bro, time for me to roll. School and whatnot."

"Have fun," he smiled. "Don't kill anyone. Love you."

"Love you too," she answered, smirking as she added, "After while, crocodile."

She smirked proudly at the dull thud as her brother fell from his chair laughing, and their parents' confused faces.

**o.O.o**

When the young woman returned from a quick shower and putting on the minimal makeup she wore—brown eyeshadow, black eyeliner and matching mascara— her mother was fully dressed, but her father was in no such shape.

Her mother's tan slacks matching the soft, powdery pink of her blouse, its flowing sleeves wavering slightly in the wind off the small fan atop the counter. Matching rose flats with embroidered white cats would finish the ensemble, but currently sat by the door.

Her father was a different case entirely.

He was still in his pajamas—which were merely a white wife-beater with black sleeping pants—squinting at the newspaper, because his glasses were nowhere to be seen. It looked like he had, at the very least, made an attempt to get dressed, one black, red, white and green plaid sock pulled on his left foot, though the other had only gotten just past his heel.

"Dad, you'd better go get dressed," Alex warned, pulling the box of frozen waffles from the freezer. It fell on deaf ears, though, and her mother shot her a knowing look with an exasperated, but fond, smile.

"I've got plenty of time," Tommy said dismissively, sticking his nose closer to the paper in an effort to make out the words. Alex smirked, dropping two waffles into the toaster, "It's fifteen 'til seven."

The man shot from the chair, stumbling on the not-completely-on sock. He crashed into the wall, bouncing off down the hallway, newspaper fluttering in his wake. Kat chuckled quietly, and Alex smirked, self-satisfied.

The waffles popped out of the toaster, and Alex grabbed them, smearing chocolate spread on one as her mother spoke, voice melodic and accented, "Are you excited for school?"

"School's school," she shrugged, placing sliced strawberries atop the spread. "_But_ I do have at least one of my friends in every class, so that's good. And I think I have all classes but one with Jaime."

"That's great," Kat answered honestly, just as Alex's phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID, smirking as she muttered, "_Well speak of the Devil..."_ before she answered it, "Yes, honey?"

"_Okay, so what are _you_ smoking today_?" Jaime asked amidst some sincere protests about shoes coming from Nate. She took a bite of her waffle-chocolate-strawberry sandwich, speaking around the mouthful, "Whaf do 'ou wunt?"

"_Rude_," he protested back. "_Who came an' got you when you wrecked your bike in the winter? Who took you to the doctor? Who _didn't _tell_ your_ parents?"_

"Okay, point taken," Alex said quickly, glancing at the suspicious look on her mother's face. "What can I help you with, oh dearest, sweetest, most loving best-est friend forever?"

"_Better_," Jaime snickered, "_but I just wanted to know if you were gonna come get me, or if I needed to bum a ride with Dad."_

"Nope, on my way," she answered easily, hanging up the phone. She munched on her sandwich, holding it in her mouth as she tugged on her boots, and was halfway out the door when her mother called out, "Alex!"

She turned, wedged in the doorway. Her mother smiled sweetly, "Have a good day."

Alex took the sandwich from her mouth, smiling sincerely, "You too."

Kat nodded, and Alex took a second to shout out, "Bye, Dad!"

His echoed answer of, "_Later Kid!"_ followed her out the door.

**o.O.o**

She turned the wheel hard, the back end of her Mustang fishtailing, sending dust flying everywhere. Ellie and Spike scrambled from the car, while Logan and Ian followed at a far more sedate pace. Jaime remained seated.

"Are you _sure_ this is a good idea?" he asked awkwardly, glancing in the rear-view mirror at Andy and his friends. Alex looked at him innocently, "Whatever do you mean?"

He shot her a dry look, "You _know_ what I mean. You could _wreck_, or, _God forbid_, he could try to _sabotage_ you, or something. He's not exactly a nice guy."

"No, but _you_ are," Alex beamed, leaning over to press a wet kiss to his cheek. He rolled his eyes, sighing, "Could you please take this seriously?"

"I mean this with the _utmost_ love and affection, because I love you, and I love your dad, but you _need_ to stop hanging around him," Alex said. "You literally sounded _just_ like him right then."

"Because you are a _giant child_," Jaime said slowly. "I'm just gonna give you my two cents: this is a _bad idea_."

"I hear your opinion, and I respect it," she nodded maturely. "But I'm still gonna do it. So get out of the car."

He grumbled, giving a wordless cry of frustration as he got out and slammed the door. He stuck his head back in the open window a second later, "I'm not taking you to the hospital."

"Yes you will," she grinned cheekily, and he narrowed his eyes at her, "...okay, I will, but you will hear about it for_ever_."

"Okay, Mother Hen," Alex laughed, getting out of the vehicle. Jaime went to join their friends, all in a group off to the side, as Alex tossed her hair over her shoulder, turning to face her opponent. She crossed her arms, quirking a brow, "So, I hear tell you don't have the balls to tell me I'm a bad racer to my face. I had to find out from everyone _else_."

The other's face flushed, and he sputtered for a moment before snorting and smirking triumphantly, "Well, it's common knowledge. I didn't figure you had to be told."

"Yes, I am _horrible_," she groaned dramatically. "All those large, golden trophies I have can't possibly be a testament to my skill, or anything. Never."

Matthews' face turned even redder this time, and Alex threw her hand up in the air with a carefree grin, "Whatever, dude. I don't even wanna hear the garbage that's about to come out of your mouth. Although, I would think it's better than half of the garbage that goes _into_ it. Who _knows_ where those cheerleaders have been?"

A multitude of gasps and angry squeals sounded, and Alex spun, grinning, "_With_ the exception of one Ellie DeSantos!"

The girl smiled, waving her on with a royal flap of her hand, bumping a hip into their newest pal, Spike, who nearly fell over, only held up thanks to Ian's quick reflexes. Jaime stood with his arms crossed, a less-than-happy look on his face, and then Logan stood to the side, clapping and cheering loudly; that made Jaime look even _less _happy.

Alex turned back to her opponent, who was too dumbstruck to say much of anything. She turned, tossing a braid over her shoulder, "Ready whenever you are."

She slammed the door to her Mustang, leaning back in the seat.

Watching him like a hawk in her rear-view mirror, she smiled slightly and shook her head.

The poor boy didn't stand a chance.

This was where she was at her best. Here, where she could let go, unconfined by the rules of society. Here, where there was nothing but the rush and the race and the finish line. There was nothing telling her who she could be or couldn't be or _shouldn't_ be, no one trying to control her, to _rule_ her. There was the road, the opponent, and the _win_. It was all that mattered.

The little white sports car pulled up to the left of her Mustang, and she didn't even give him a passing glance. In the grand scheme of things, she knew he didn't matter. They'd graduate high school, and, at best, he'd go to college on a football scholarship, probably injure his knee or back, and come back to Angel Grove. Then he might get a job, as a bank teller or an insurance agent, and get married to another washed-up cheerleader, have a couple kids. Either way, it didn't matter. That wouldn't be her.

She was meant for bigger and better things.

That's why it was no surprise, then, when one cheerleader signaled the start of their little race, that while Alex raced down the small stretch of dusty dirt road, Matthews missed a gear, and his little car sputtered before the engine died.

She laughed, loud and free, flying past the finish line and yanking the wheel hard to the right. She pulled up beside his car, leaning out her window to point at his gear shift.

"_First_ gear is actually the top, left-most one," She said with an innocent face, "but I get it. Sometimes you just can't get it up."

His face was so red it looked like his head might explode, and she laughed harder, pulling up beside her friends. She hoisted herself out her window, sitting on the door, and grinning at the group, "Well, let's go! I'm not getting any younger, and if I have to stay around this lot much longer, my IQ will drop so low I can't even _breathe_ on my own."

Logan and Ian laughed, bumping fists, and Ellie giggled, dragging a nervous-looking Spike toward the car. Jaime narrowed his dark eyes at her, dropping heavily into the passenger's seat.

Alex looked over at him, and he grumbled, "Don't do it."

"What?" she asked innocently. "I wasn't gonna do anything."

His eyes snapped over to her, "You are _such_ a bad liar."

"I was _just_ gonna say that everything ended fine, and that you don't have to worry so much," she shrugged, face perfectly neutral. He snorted, "I have _five_ younger siblings. I can't _not_ worry. It is physically impossible."

"And, I'd just like to add, that I think it's because you're always there, worrying and praying for me to be safe, that I am," she finished sappily, leaning over to flutter her eyelashes at the boy. He didn't even look at her, just planted a hand on her forehead and pushed, "Get away from me."

She fell back against her door laughing, "Oh, come on spoil-sport, I know you love me."

"Not right now I don't," he argued, and she cranked the car, grinning, "You _always_ love me. I am _super_ charming."

"Yeah," Jaime snorted, "God help us all."

"Now that's just _rude_."

"Doesn't mean its not _true_."


	11. Episode X Ian

**Ian**

School let out with the usual fanfare; crowds of excited, shouting students rushed out of the building, piling into buses and cars.

Ian was leading their group, adjusting the strap of his yellow bag, thrown carelessly over one shoulder. "Where are we headed?" he asked, tossing his friends a look over his shoulder. It was Thursday, so neither he nor Logan had football practice this evening.

"What about that new place? Confetti's?" Ellie suggested. Curiously, Spike went pink at the question.

Although the building had once been the local favorite, Ernie's Juice Bar and Gym, it had recently been remodeled. "Isn't there a bar there?" Logan interrupted.

"Why, do you need a drink, Logan?" Alex laughed, shoving the much larger boy out of her way as they approached her car.

Alex's green mustang was parked at the far end of the lot, far from the good spots taken up by the upperclassmen. While once a little cramped, now it was almost impossible for them to go anywhere. Ever since Spike had joined their group, there simply weren't enough seats– not that it stopped them from trying.

They kept that development hushed around their generally overprotective parents, and continued to force themselves into every spare inch of the car. The four boys managed to get their own seats (with Jaime stealing the front seat because he was Alex's favorite), while Ellie was resigned to sitting on their laps.

After they had filled up the back seat, Ellie clambered in, taking her preferred spot on Logan's lap. She sat at a bit of an angle, so that she had room for her own legs. Every time Alex took a turn too sharply, she had to clutch onto his red t-shirt with her dainty little fingers.

Thankfully, the drive was a short one. The moment they had pulled into a spot, Ian was the first one out. "Okay, someone has _got _to get another car," he groaned, stretching out his muscles, and giving Logan a pointed look.

Ian himself was too young to drive on his own for another couple of months. No one wanted to be seen in whatever pink convertible Ellie surely wanted. Spike driving them anywhere was a scary thought, indeed. That left Jaime and Logan, and for Jaime, it was a matter of saving up for his own vehicle. Logan was a different matter; he shrugged, "I've asked a hundred times. Dad says yes, and Mom says no."

Ian had a feeling that Jason would win out on that one, it would just take him a while. He had grown up with his band of friends, but none so closely as Logan, which meant he knew Jason and Trini almost as well as he knew his own parents.

The teens continued to talk as they approached the building. The outside wasn't all that different, except for the color on the new tin roof, and a little landscaping done on the lawn. Jaime was the first to reach the door, holding it open as the others poured through.

The inside was cool, with the steady hum of air conditioning hidden by the music that filled the space. The building had been out of use for most of their lives, but now it was booming with activity. Tables were scattered across the floor, most of which were filled with students of all ages, as well as a few parents and young adults, looking for a place to hang out.

On the far left of the room was a wide bar, manned by a large, bald gentleman, currently making what looked to be a sizable batch of strawberry smoothies.

No one had really noticed that Spike was shrinking behind the crowd, least of all Ian, who had gotten excited by the trio of arcade games in the far corner. Distracted by the new surroundings, the group broke up, each of them going in separate directions as they explored.

After a while they ended up at one of the small round tables, having stolen extra chairs so they had enough seats. "What do you guys want to drink?" Ian asked what everyone wanted after a moment, breaking up the conversation on Andy Matthews, who seemed to be terrorizing someone new today.

His friends rattled off their drink orders, and he struggled to keep up with everything, from a simple chocolate shake to Spike's strange mix of flavors. Ian approached the counter, leaning on the bar as the man behind it worked.

Behind the counter they had everything; tons of appliances and a plethora of ingredients and flavor mixes. When there wasn't enough of something, a door led to a backroom full of surplus.

"What can I get you?" the man asked, as he placed a new round of drinks on a small tray.

Ian listed all of the drinks, only to stumble on the last one, "Uh... It's supposed to be lime, cherry, blueberry, and chocolate syrup, I think."

The man studied him for a moment, and then scanned the room. "For Spike?" he asked, gesturing towards the table that held his friends.

"Yeah, actually," he answered, wondering who this man was, and why Spike hadn't mention him before.

The man nodded, seeming pleased with his answer. "Go sit back down, this round's on the house."

"Woah, really?"

"Sure kid. Go on now," he said, shooing him off. Ian quickly returned to the table, grinning.

Alex laughed when he came back empty handed. "Did you forget our drinks?"

Ian shook his head, sitting back down in his backward facing chair, arms propped on the back rest. "So who's the dude at the bar, Spike?" he asked instead, turning on their newest friend.

The boy in blue toyed with his hat, his cheeks flaring with color. "Oh, that's my uncle. Or - well, he's not really my uncle... he's my dad's friend, but we call him Uncle Bulk anyway... um. He owns this place now. Kinda. It will be his."

"Bulk? Like the guy you lived with?" Jaime asked curiously, interrupting Spike's ramble.

Spike nodded. "Yeah. He moved back when I did."

Just then the man in question approached their table. He set down their drinks first, and then took a good look at all of them. "Why haven't you told us about your friends, Spike?" Spike went even more red, sliding down in his seat. "Don't tell me," he continued, cutting off their efforts to introduce themselves. He stood silently for a moment, making them all a little uncomfortable, before pointing to them each in turn. "You're Jason and Trini's boy, right?" he asked Logan, who nodded in response. "You all are obviously Tommy's and Adam's," he told Alex and Jaime, and then he set his attention on Ian. "Hmm, Zack?" he questioned, more to himself than to Ian. "What about you, pinkie?"

Ellie looked a little offended at that, although the big man had questioned her with her with a smile. "My name is Ellie DeSantos," she replied coolly.

"Rocky's girl, then," he laughed.

Bulk left them then, returning to his station just as shouts echoed through the building. Andy, who must have gotten bored of simply throwing insults, was bent over, shaking with laughter, his latest victim dripping whipped cream and melted ice cream.

While the shout had come reflexively from shock, the other boy had obviously been pushed too far. He scooped the brown goo away from his eyes, slinging the mess to the floor. His face twisted in anger, he reached for the closest object to him.

Andy and his cronies were laughing too hard to notice the action, until a hunk of cake descended on them, smacking their ring leader square in the face.

"FOOD FIGHT!" came the shout from someone else in the room, and as if they had been called to battle, the room was suddenly filled with people holding bits of whatever they had in front of them.

The food flew, splattering all over the walls and floors, while innocent bystanders attempted to shield themselves in the commotion. Something bright red stuck itself to the ceiling, slowly dripping down on anyone that was careless enough to get underneath it.

At their table, the excitement was infectious, and against their better judgment, all six of them ended up in the middle of the fight. Alex was clearly looking for another opportunity to take Matthews down a peg. She made a beeline for him, dodging between people, and missing most of the shrapnel in the air. Once close enough, she ducked under one of his friends, grabbed a fist full of his purple and yellow letterman's jacket, and proceeded to dump the entirety of her smoothie down the back of his neck.

"ENOUGH!" Bulk shouted, but it did little to stall the frenzy. When that failed him, he stalked over to the entrance and pulled the bright red fire handle.

The sudden down pour was icy cold, drenching everyone in the room in an instant. The gimmick seemed to have worked, stopping everyone in their tracks. Many of them ran for cover, squealing from the cold, and sliding in the muck that was slowly melting on the floor.

Bulk continued to shout, chasing out the culprits and apologizing to the adult patrons, until it was only them left. The big man was scowling at the mess, but he didn't seem to mind that they were still present. Or even that they had been very much involved.

"What a disaster," he groaned, placing a hand over his face.

Ian felt bad for the guy, and from the looks on his friends' faces, they did too. "Can we help clean up?" Jaime asked, speaking for the lot of them.

Bulk dropped his hand, and eyed them suspiciously. "The apples don't fall far from the tree, do they?" he said. "Come on, then."

**o.O.o**

The two boys loped down the sidewalk, lost in conversation as they discussed their upcoming football season, still dripping wet and smeared in food. It had taken them almost another hour to get the place clean. Alex was running late, so Ian and Logan had decided to walk the few minutes from Confetti's to their houses.

"Stone Canyon's team should be weak this year. All of their good players were seniors last year."

"Yeah," Logan agreed. "That big guy was a senior, right? What's his name… Darian?"

"Mhm. Him, and their receiver."

"We might stand a chance then," the boy in red laughed, tucking his hands into his pockets. "Unless Reefside comes out of nowhere."

Ian groaned, remembering the severe stomping they had received from the school in question. Reefside was a small place, just an hour or so out, and it was where Alex's dad taught as well, but it wasn't known for its prowess in sports.

"Nah," he decided. "We've got a kick-ass team this year. We're going to state, for sure."

Logan rolled his eyes, "Better strap on your running shoes."

"Ha ha, very funny." Their steps slowed as they approached the Taylor house.

The house wasn't huge, but it was glamorous, just the way his mother liked. She had designed the landscape herself, from the elegant sprawling vines growing over the trellis, to the colorful patchwork of stone that led up to the steps. The house itself was several shades of gray, with white trimming and just a touch of stone.

Ian led the way to the door, dragging out his steps and prolonging their conversation. "Are you coming in?" he asked Logan, nodding towards the interior.

"Can't," he replied simply. "I promised Harley I'd help her with her art project."

The other boy nodded. "Sure, no problem. I better get in before Mom has my head."

Logan laughed, leaving him alone on the porch as he retreated down the stairs. "See you in the morning, then."

"Ugh," he groaned. "Don't remind me. I'm never going to get that paper done."

"Ms. Rivers assigned that a week ago," Logan reminded him.

"Like you've gotten it done either!" he shouted at his retreating back, earning a playful show of the finger.

Amused, Ian finally let himself in the house, stepping into another world. Inside all was quiet for the moment, even though he knew both of his parents were home. His mother worked out of her office here, and she was never very far, while his father traveled for miles around putting on shows for big celebrities. But Zack's sleek black car was parked in the drive, so he must have been somewhere.

More than likely, he assumed, they were playing nice for the moment, wondering if he had brought any friends home this evening.

He could have broken the silence, but it was a rarity around here, so he savored it. Ian stashed away his bright yellow shoes, and made a beeline for the kitchen. He was hoping he'd be able to steal a snack without either of them noticing, but his luck seemed to have ran out.

"Hey, Ian," his dad called. Zack looked incredibly tired. He was only thirty-five, but with his receding hairline, and the lines forming around his eyes, he was starting to look much older than that. "What happened to you?"

Ian glanced around the room first, just to make sure his mother wasn't nearby. The last thing he wanted to do was be drawn into one of their fights. He shrugged, smirking as he relived the last few hours, "We got in a food fight. Alex dumped a smoothie down the back of this one dude, too."

Zack smiled, a rarity for him these days, probably picturing the scene in his head. "I'm sure he deserved it."

"Did you just say you were fighting? What did you do to your clothes?!" his mother suddenly asked from behind him. "And of course you were encouraging him! You and your friends were always in the middle of those kind of things."

Angela stood in the doorway, both hands fisted on either hip. Her dark eyes were trained on Zack, daring him to respond, which of course he did.

"We never started any fights in school," he replied. "and you were such an angel. Didn't you start all of that drama with Bridget in eleventh grade?"

"She called me a whore!" she returned, her voice slowly growing louder with each word.

Ian wanted an escape, but he was blocked in, with his mother at one door and his father at the entryway. "Yeah, after you were caught making out with her boyfriend."

"Oh, so now you're going to agree with her?!"

He really didn't want to be here for this. He knew better than to think that either of them would get violent, except for the possibility of Angela throwing the closest object, when Zack finally got fed up and walked away. He wasn't sure when things had gotten this way, it had kind of been over night.

Home used to be his favorite place, his mother doted on him, as long as he was behaving, and his father could create the most interesting situations anywhere, at any time. It was never boring here, and while that was still true, things had also gotten a lot more hostile.

They continued to shout, screaming about every topic under the sun in a jumbled mess that he couldn't follow. Instead Ian tried to ignore most of it, zoning out where he stood, and wishing that he had forgone the snack and went straight to his homework.

"Don't you dare bring that back up!" his mother screamed, jarring him out of his thoughts.

"What?" Zack returned. "That you've turned into a monster? Its not my fault that you can't have any more kids!"

"You bastard!" she cursed, tears forming in her eyes. "You fucking terrible piece of shit!"

His mother was shaking violently now, and the tears were really starting to pour over her cheeks. Worried, Ian took a step closer to her, "Mom?"

She didn't seem to be able to hear him, and after another short moment she spun on her heels and fled the room, sobbing.

Ian turned on his father, shocked by the scene he had just witnessed. He had never before watched on of their fights end like that. His mother always won, always got the last word, and he couldn't remember the last time he had seen her cry. "What did you do?" he asked the man, who looked nearly as shaken as he felt.

Zack looked torn, as if he wanted to both celebrate his victory and stop the torment he had caused. Father and son's dark eyes met for a mere moment, and then he was gone, heading in the same direction his wife had just gone.

Ian stood there, frozen, unsure what he was supposed to do. He was of no use to either of them at the moment, and not even watching TV sounded remotely interesting. He no longer had an appetite.

All he could do was stand, wondering if there was any way that these ever-growing cracks in his family could ever be repaired.


	12. Episode XI Logan

**Logan**

He should have known.

Why, oh why, did he think it would be so simple as politely turning her down? Why had he been so stupid to assume she would take that graciously, to just accept it and move on? All he knew was that one moment their table was full of playful, friendly banter, and the next, it was as silent as the grave.

He looked at his friends with confusion, before turning around to try and discover the cause of the lull in conversation.

He did not expect to be met with a pair of braless breasts in a too-tight hot pink sweater. He jerked back a second later, rattling the table and nearly upsetting his tray. His dark eyes shot up, locking on Tiffany's blue ones. They were fake, and kind of creepy in his opinion- a lot like her yellow-blonde hair. He hadn't known it was bleached, but Alex's and Ellie's disapproval was forever seared into his brain.

Tiffany smirked, carrying herself with an air of superiority. No different than usual. She flipped her hair over her shoulder, planting her hands on her hips, "I thought I'd give you a chance to reconsider."

He gulped, at a loss for words. The first rejection had been civil; the second one wouldn't be. He turned back around, unsure of what to do. Various expressions flitted across his friends' faces: Jaime looked uncomfortable, while Spike was obviously confused; Ian was too busy drooling over Tiffany, and Alex looked damn near ready to get out of her seat, and that would not end well. But Ellie...

The petite girl looked so disappointed. Her face had fallen, bottom lip trembling just slightly, big blue eyes watering. They locked gazes for only a moment before the girl stood and fled the scene.

Jaime followed quickly, and Logan stood abruptly. Tiffany drug a finger down his chest, smirking, "Logan, sweetie, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I know you-"

"Look, Tiffany," the teen sighed, gently removing her hand from his form, "I'm just not interested."

Her coy expression shifted to something nasty. She took a step back, giving him an ugly sneer, "What a loser. I don't know why I thought you were good enough for me. How stupid-"

"Why don't you get the hell out of here before we catch one STD or another just by being too close to you?" Alex snapped, standing as well. Tiffany snapped to glare at her, snarling, "No one asked-"

"Step down before I make you, Malibu Whore-bie," the brunette snapped darkly. Tiffany seemed to weigh the chances, then turned and strutted away. Alex tossed her empty milk carton at her, shouting over the bell, "That's right, cesspool, walk away!"

Logan stood, turning toward the hallway Ellie and Jaime had vanished down, stopping when he felt a hand on his arm. He turned to Alex, who shook her head, "Jaime's with her. She's better off with him than with anyone. Let her cool off."

He nodded, letting Alex tug him down the hall toward their class.

**o.O.o**

He drug his feet up the walk, still thinking about the scene at lunch, much like he had been all day. He couldn't remember anything that had happened in his classes, and he hoped Alex or Ian had taken good notes; he was definitely going to need them.

He dropped his book bag on the floor just inside the doorway, leaving his shoes in a trail down the hall. He flopped down in one of the chairs, throwing an arm over his eyes.

He couldn't figure out why Ellie had reacted in the manner that she had. He'd turned Tiffany down once, which Ellie knew, but she didn't even give him the opportunity to do it again! Tiffany was beautiful, yes, but... she was fake. Plastic was the most accurate term to describe the cheerleader.

He was lamenting his very birth when the door opened and then shut again. There was a squawk, and then his sister shouted, "Geez, Logan! Why'd you leave your shoes in the middle of the floor?"

"Just leave me here to die," Logan groaned dramatically, slumping further into the chair. Harley scoffed, "You are such a drama queen. What happened now?"

"Girls!" he whined. "Girls happened! Why, why are girls a thing?"

"Because the world would implode when only left with men," his sister answered easily as she rooted around in the fridge. "And because eggs are completely useless without women, but the human race could go on if women had sperm."

He gave a loud, wordless cry of frustration and anguish in reply. Harley joined him a moment later, "Did you screw up with some girl because you're used to me and Alex?"

His silence was all the answer she needed, and she sat back, "Was it Ellie?"

His head snapped up, dark eyes wide, "How did you know?!"

She eyed him dryly, and when he showed no signs of joking, she stood and walked away, muttering, "How do you survive?"

He, once again, remained quiet. The door opened once more, his father's heavy footsteps preceding a rough rustle of his hair. He tossed his arm to the side, and his father blinked at him, "Oh boy. What happened, kid?"

"Girls," Logan grumbled. His father smelled faintly of smoke, and there was some soot smeared along his jaw. He smiled, nodding in agreement, "Amen, kid. Amen."

"If he'd stop acting like every girl was me or Alex, he wouldn't have half the problems he does," Harley said, perched on the counter. Jason sighed in fond exasperation, "You are definitely your mother's child."

She grinned proudly, and her mother rounded the corner, "Did I hear my title?"

Jason rolled his eyes, turning to grab his wife and spin her into a kiss. She went with it easily, completely unfazed when she was released. She leaned against the counter by her daughter, picking through the bowl of mixed fruit. "What's wrong with Lolo?"

"Girls," Harley and Jason answered in sync. Trini sighed, rolling her eyes, turning to her husband, "Your fault."

"How is it my fault?!" Jason gasped, smirking a second later. "I was a Romeo!"

"If by Romeo you mean manwhore, then yes," Trini sighed. Jason's jaw dropped, and Trini pressed on with a triumphant smirk, "Sweetie, you didn't honestly think everyone was truly interested in you, did you? Most people wanted in your pants!"

"I am wounded," Jason cried dramatically, and Trini laughed, turning to face him, "Doesn't matter. You got me. I'm better than them."

"True," he agreed easily, joining his wife and daughter. He stole a strawberry from Trini's hand, grinning momentarily at her before looking to his son. "Was it Ellie?"

He stood up, jaw slack, and Trini snorted, "Of course it was Ellie. Who else would it be?"

Logan turned bright red, heading for his room, "I'm going to do my homework."

He head up the stairs, only to hear his mother and sister begin to sing, "I am so lonely, I am so lonely, I have nobody to call my own!"

"God, you two, stop it!" Jason ordered between laughs.

**o.O.o**

Logan had given up on his assignments after a while, and had instead booted up his newest video game on his 360. Blasting through hoards of slimy aliens was an easy way to distract himself, and after several frustrating deaths, he was so lost in the game that he nearly missed the quiet buzz of his phone.

He shot a quick glance at the device out of the corner of his dark eyes, but even that hadn't been quick enough. "Fuck!" he shouted, tossing the controller to the floor for the fifth time tonight. He watched as his character sunk to his knees once more, his steaming, helmet-clad head rolling offscreen.

Logan grabbed his phone, and found a simple text from Ian. _Wnt 2 go 4 a wlk rownd town?_

The bright red LED clock beside his bed said that it was only a little after ten, plenty of time to go out before bed. His parents wouldn't necessarily like it though. He considered his options, and spent a great deal of time wondering if his dad had locked the ladder back in the garage.

Met me n 10. 4th &amp; elm, he sent back. After climbing out of his beanbag chair and shutting off the Xbox, Logan pulled on his shoes and switched off his light. He had locked the bedroom door on his way up, hoping to avoid any more of the embarrassing antics of his parents, not that they had bothered him since he had escaped. He had at least went down for dinner, and for a couple of trips to the bathroom.

He figured they wouldn't miss him for a few hours, if he was even gone that long. He had wasted too much time already, and after another look around the room, Logan folded himself over and forced his body through his small window.

His room looked out over the street, through a dormer window with roof access. He had to watch his step on the shallow slope, as the metal panels were slick. Logan half walked, half crawled over the still-warm tiles, until he reached the corner where he could scrabble down the gutter and onto the lawn. Getting down this way was fairly easy, but the lack of foot holds would make getting back up nearly impossible.

That was why he made sure the ladder was still propped against the side of the house. Sneaking out wasn't nearly so fun when you had to ring the doorbell to get back inside. The last time he had tried returning sans-ladder, he wound up bleeding from a nasty fall and a rusty screw. He'd been grounded for a week and had to get a tetanus shot.

Darting through the shadows until he was out of eyeshot, Logan found Ian just where he expected him to be. The other boy was slumped on the low wall, his back propped up against an old withered tree.

Once he had been spotted, Ian lifted a hand in greeting as he pushed himself off of the trunk. Logan met him across the street, giving his phone a final paranoid check, before banishing it to his pocket.

"So what's this about?" he asked his best friend, a little suspicious. He really didn't want to talk about the fool he had made of himself today, not even with Ian. And they shared everything.

Ian shrugged, fiddling with his Lakers jersey. "Just wanted some fresh air."

He didn't believe that, but he didn't press the subject any further. Instead he asked, "Where'd you wanna go? To the playground?"

The playground at the park had been one of their favorite places to hang out since they were little, when their mothers would bring them out for play dates. They had been glorified excuses for their dads to run off for a game of basketball or catch some important game. Logan knew for a fact that his mother hadn't particularly enjoyed the outings— not that she didn't love Ian like one of her own.

They wandered the dark streets in near-silence, entirely comfortable in each others presence. Ian had a slight lead on him, and directed them through the gates of the park to the looming frame of the play area.

In the dark the jungle gym looked like a strange, twisted monster, and the swings moved slowly with the wind, as if some invisible figure lingered there.

They each went to their favorite swings, Ian taking the far one to the left (it hung a little higher off the ground than the others), and Logan taking up the one beside him. They lingered there for a bit, the air growing more tense as the minutes ticked by, even with the halfhearted conversation about football.

"I think I like Ellie," he said suddenly, breaking the silence.

"No shit," Ian scoffed, still staring at the bright material of his high-tops. After a short pause, he breathed, "I think my parents are going to get divorced."

"What? Why?" Logan asked, feigning confusion. It was, despite Ian's best attempts, no surprise that his parents were unhappy. They always seemed to be fighting, over everything from the bills to who left the butter on the counter. Even the smallest of issues seemed to be loaded weapons.

"They got into another fight. I dunno, just one minute they were yelling and the next they were crying… Dad hasn't been home since, and my mom threw a bunch of his stuff away." He took a long, ragged breath before continuing, "Like she took a trash bag up to their bedroom and started throwing things. It was… It was kinda scary."

"Shit," Logan said quietly, mostly to himself.

"Yeah."

"What are you going to do?" he asked his friend, concern wrinkling his forehead.

"I don't know." Ian moved to place his hands over his face. "I don't know."


	13. Episode XII Jaime

**Jaime**

"Sweetie, are you okay?"

Jaime startled, spine snapping straight as he stared at her with too-alert eyes. She flinched a bit, her own eyes widening as she took a seat on the bench beside him. He'd seen her around, here and there; she was the new librarian... Miss Wilde, if he remembered correctly.

He relaxed a bit, nodding with a heavy sigh, "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just..."

Students moved quickly around them, rushing to their buses and cars, some hanging around by the school in wait of extracurricular activities. He'd sent Alex on her way before their last class, so she wouldn't fret and worry over his unusual behavior. He sighed again.

The woman beside him placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling encouragingly, "Are you _sure_?"

He nodded listlessly, then sat back with a slouch, "I just don't wanna go _home_."

She looked at him for elaboration, and he flailed his hands about, "I'm the oldest of _six_. The youngest is a _baby_. I just...it's so _loud_. Sometimes I don't think they'd miss me."

She cocked her head, and he blanched, eyes widening when he realized how it might sound. He shot up, backpack falling to the ground, and held his hands out as he rambled in a panic, "They don't..._beat_ me or anything! Or abuse me in any manner! I swear. I _swear_. It's just busy and the little ones need more help than I do, and I _get it_, I _understand_. I just—"

He clamped his mouth shut when she stood, amusement all over her face as she smiled, "_Honey_, I know of your family. I know there's not a bad bone in that bloodline. _Calm down_. I'm not gonna report them to the authorities or anything. Your other problem, though, I can help with."

He nodded slowly, swallowing in relief, and she bent to pick up his bag. She passed it over before reaching for her own, and began to explain, "I work in _this_ library, but I _also_ work in the public library at Angel Grove. I am also, _unfortunately_, the only one there, other than Ethel. And poor Ethel can hardly _see_, much less stand or climb ladders to help me shelve the books. So...if you'd like a part time job, I need the help."

The boy's face lit up like a Christmas tree, and she found herself smiling as well. He damped it, looking at her hopefully, "You're _sure_?"

"Positive," She replied easily, holding out a hand, "Dinah Wilde."

He grinned again, shaking her hand with excitement, "Jaime Park. _Jaimeson Park_, technically, but whatever."

"Oh, you would not _believe_ the number of names I have," She smirked, rounding the building. He followed her through the faculty parking, making a face when she stopped by a motorcycle.

"Ever rode a bike?" She smirked, holding out a black helmet.

Suddenly, Jaime wondered if this was such a good thing after all.

Ͻ

The library was mostly empty, and when he finally got away from Ethel _thirty minutes_ after arriving—and three oatmeal-raisin cookies later, he recalled with a shudder— he looked through the stacks in search of the woman.

He found her in the back corner, with the fantasies and romances, scanning the back of each book before slipping it into its proper spot. When her face lit up on one book with a large dragon on the cover, she placed it back on her cart. He couldn't help but laugh.

She looked up, grinning sheepishly, "Ah, sorry, sorry. It's my weakness."

He walked to her side with a smile, flipping the book around to read the back, before looking up at her with big eyes, "You really like your job, don't you?"

She slid a few books into their spots with quick precision, a soft smile on her face, "I love books. Something about a bunch of letters and words on sheets of paper, painting such detailed mental pictures of places, creating such amazing, relatable characters... just gets to me. And _imagine_ the amount of people that have read, say..." She looked at the shelf in front of her, snatching one with a nearly unreadable title and worn, faded leather binding, eyes bright, "_this_ one. Just imagine how many people, lives, situation, places this book has seen, how many different thoughts it's spawned, and what people did with those thoughts. It's just paper and ink, but it's a _lot _more than that, too."

He took the book, flipping through it and scanning a line here and there. It seemed to be about a fearless princess, fleeing her lifestyle to live in the woods, and leading a team of diverse, fearsome individuals against a great evil. It was intriguing, and he placed it on the cart beside hers. He pick up another and scanned the stack for where it belonged.

She leaned over conspiratorially, and he found himself leaning to meet her halfway. Her voice was a whisper, and he choked back a laugh before she ever started, "We're only supposed to take out three books, but I won't tell. Right now, I have seven checked out."

His laugh was loud, echoing through the stacks before he slapped a hand over his mouth, shoulders quaking as he tottered, trying to avoid toppling a huge bookcase.

Her smile was soft but wide, and just happy.

Ͻ

The library closed just a couple hours later; it was too soon to suit Jaime. He pouted, gathering his bag as he waited for Dinah to lock the library. She turned, hiking her own bag up on her shoulder, and looked at him with a smile, "So, thanks for the help. You can come by anytime you want—I've got you a time card and everything, that way you can just clock in without needing someone's pass."

"Okay," He smiled with a nod, but stopped when Dinah frowned.

His earlier playfulness and enthusiasm were gone, replaced with that downtrodden look he'd had earlier. She made a face, thinking for a quick second before blurting, "Do you have allergies?"

He looked at her with drawn brows, "No..."

"_Well_, I live on a large plot of land that _desperately_ needs mowed, if you're game," She said with an innocent eye roll, surprised when he all but jumped toward her, "_Yes_."

She blinked at him, and he faltered again, scratching at his neck, "I mean...I know the library pays me here, but it's your money, and I—"

"My employer has _more_ than enough money to pay you for cutting the grass," She smiled, nodding toward her motorcycle, "Come on. Daylight's a-wastin'!"

"It's only five," Jaime said, "we've got at least four hours until it's dark."

"Trivialities!" Dinah declared, throwing her hands in the air. Jaime laughed, shaking his head as he followed along behind.

Ͻ

He didn't know what he expected, but it certainly wasn't what he was greeted with.

The grounds were impressive- the house at the center could be a midsized hotel. There were four houses at each corner, small and conservative, but recently fixed-up. The grounds, however... _the grounds were massive._

Dinah laughed, leaning against her bike, "I don't want you to mow it _all_ today. It's several _acres_. Just some around the main house. But we'll get to that in a bit. Let's go inside."

He followed her up the cobblestone path, stepping ahead into the huge house. She closed the door behind them as he looked around. The kitchen was clean and crisp, with off-white walls and simple pine woodwork. There was a bar that cut the kitchen proper off from what probably served as the dining room, since there was a huge, pine table that would easily sit ten people, possibly more.

There was another woman busying herself in the kitchen, pulling things to make a salad out of the fridge. She pulled her chocolate hair over her shoulder, spinning as she spoke, "There you are!"

"Here I be," Dinah agreed, smirking at her friend's surprised face, "And Jaime _Park_. Who is going to mow the yard."

The woman's brown eyes searched her friend's face before she smiled at Jaime, "Hello, there! You're paper was very interesting. None of the other students seemed to go as in depth with evolution as you did."

_That_ was why she looked familiar; she was their new biology teacher, Miss Rivers.

"Ah, thank you, Miss Rivers," He smiled nervously, only to have Dinah give him a gentle push with a smirk, "_She's _not the dangerous one. And I like you, so you're safe."

"Please, Analise," The brunette smiled, "Ana, even. Want a cookie?"

She held the tray out, and Jaime gave an involuntary shudder. When Ana looked to her friend, Dinah snickered, "Ethel."

"Oh, never mind," The other woman said as she quickly pulled the tray away, "_completely_ understandable, Jaime. Completely. I didn't eat a cookie after a year when I first met Ethel."

"Lucky me," Dinah sang, slipping off her heels, and Ana shot her a dirty look, "_Liar_ you, you mean. You don't have diabetes."

"But I might have died from those cookies," The short-haired woman shrugged, "I mean, things happen. You never know."

Jaime found himself grinning at the pair as Ana rolled her eyes. The door opened, and he turned to observe the individual coming through it.

The man had to duck a bit just to get through the door, and when he got to his full height, Jaime saw that he stood a good six inches taller than himself or the woman behind him. He was broad through the shoulders, his legs and arms thick as well, though when he saw his face he was surprised by what he found there. His face was... not childish, really, but the freckles, bright, green eyes, and unruly black hair were at odds with the strength he exuded. He also wore an Angel Grove Police Department uniform.

The man looked at him, and they engaged in an unintentional stare-down; at least until Dinah snorted, "Quit _staring_ at him, Freckles. You'll _scare _him away."

The man's eyes flashed to the right, and he quirked a brow, "_I'll_ scare him? Coming from you, that is _rich_."

She shot back a dry look. He was distracted yet again by another person entering through the door off to the left, which was presumably a hallway or living room.

This one, however, he knew.

"_Anthony Shaw_?" He gaped, and the man's head popped up, staring at him with shock. He pocketed his phone, grinning, "Yes? Who are you? Do I know you? Please tell me your mother didn't send you."

"You know him?" Ana asked curiously, and he nodded rapidly, "Of course! He published a research journal on his theory that the Alpha series hardware could be updated with human technology to make it more proficient, and potentially increase the available memory banks exponentially. He also expounded on the opportunity to create similar robots, with unique voice chips and diverse functions for their use!"

Tony appeared more surprised than anyone, and looked to Dinah, "Who is this bright young man?"

She placed her hands on his shoulders, smirking, "This is Jaime Park. Adam Park's eldest child and son. He's here to mow the yard."

Tony's blue eyes sharpened considerably as he traded a long glance with the woman, then returned his attention to the boy appraisingly. He stepped forward after a moment, holding his hand out. "It's nice to meet you, Jaime. And it's nice to meet someone who knows about my work. These plebeians are too simple."

A carrot bounced off the side of his head at the same time a shout echoed from down the hall. There was a following crash and buzz, and another, louder yell. Ana's eyes shot wide as Tony sighed, squeezing the bridge of his nose. Dinah grinned smugly, "Better go get that before he breaks something. Again."

The billionaire muttered, turning to exit through the door he'd come in. Jaime looked around curiously, and Ana sighed as she returned to chopping up vegetables, "That's Cain."

"You're not missing anything," Dinah muttered, only to dodge the piece of onion thrown at her. Ana scowled, "Be _nice_."

"I _am_," She said, holding her hands up in the air, "I didn't say anything _about_ him. Like how he uses a ridiculous amount of hair product and is in a relationship with his _car_."

"He is _not_," Ana defended, and Del shook his head, putting a big palm on the dazed boy's shoulder, steering him out the door, "I'll show you to the shed, and help you out after I get changed. I'm Del, by the way."

"Jaime," He muttered, still a bit star-struck and bewildered. Del chuckled, "You get used to them. Take it from me."

Ͻ

When Jaime finally got home, it was almost eight o'clock. He was tired, but oddly rejuvenated.

Lacy was already in bed, and he could hear his mother chasing Sam and Aidan about upstairs. He ruffled Luca's hair as he passed by; his brother was flipping through a book that appeared to contain several pictures of various big cats. Luca was studying a Bengal tiger closely, but yawned, "Hey, Jay."

"Hey, Lu," Jaime replied, slipping out of his shoes, "Where's Dad?"

"Nate," The boy yawned again, picking his book up and heading to his room, "Night, Jay."

"Night, Lu," Jaime answered, placing his book bag by the door before he trotted upstairs to Nate's room, just down the hall from his own.

He knocked softly on the door before peeking his head in. His father was tucking his youngest brother into bed, and the man smiled at him as he shut the lamp off and pulled the door shut behind him.

"Where have you been?" Adam asked his eldest son. Jaime was relieved to note his voice held a note of curiosity, not anger. Jaime blushed, "I got a part-time job."

Adam looked surprised, then grinned, "Really? Doing what? Although you didn't have to. If you need anything, you just—"

"Have to ask, I know," He smiled, following his father down the hall and stairs, "At the library, and mowing a yard. A big yard."

"Well, so long as it's what you want, I'm proud of you," Adam smiled, slapping his back, then smiling mischievously, "I think this calls for a celebratory milkshake!"

"Strawberry?" Jaime asked hopefully, and Adam snorted, "What else?"

…

They'd just sat down to their milkshakes when his mother entered, dark hair wild and eyes bright. She placed her hands on her hips, looking between them, "Now, how is that fair? I want one!"

Father and son pushed their shakes out in offering, and she smiled, shaking her head as she perched on the stool between them, placing a kiss to Jaime's temple, then Adam's. She took a sip of Adam's shake, Jaime snickering at his father's pout, before focusing back on his mother when she inquired, "What's the celebratory milkshakes about?"

"Our boy got a job," Adam smiled, and Sarah laughed, clapping, "Good job! But if it gets to be too much, just tell us, okay? We love you; we'll give you any help you need."

"I know," The young man said quietly, then leaned his head on his mother's shoulder, "I love you."

"Love you, too," Adam replied softly, squeezing his neck. Sarah placed a lingering kiss to his forehead, "Forever and always, sweetie. Always."

Ͻ

Shaw looked at the large screen in the basement, but he wasn't really looking at it.

He remembered the soft scent of jasmine, flawless, caramel skin and bright silver eyes. He remembered a quiet laugh, and a large heart, and the sweetest kiss against his temple each night before bed.

He remembered it all, as if it wasn't fifteen years ago. As if his memories weren't the only way it would ever happen again.

"Jaime Park?" He spoke into the darkness. Most people would have thought him crazy, should they witness him now- that he was emotional and talking to himself. Rather, Dinah revealed herself a moment later, leaving the shadows to curl up in the chair at his left. "Adam Park's boy?"

"Not on purpose," She said quietly, scooting closer to him. "But it was _your_ idea. I'm not for it or against it, but I know _he_ should be one. God, Tony...his heart is so big. I can just _tell_."

"You always were a good judge of people," he mused. She snorted, "Not always."

He looked over at her, and she looked back, "Like I thought you were just some asshole billionaire. Who knew there was some heart and integrity under those ridiculous white suits?"

"I was a _millionaire_ back then, thank you," He corrected primly. "Billionaire was after you."

"Sorry, it all blurs anymore," she excused. "But I'm not forcing it. I'm just suggesting him. He's a good place to start."

Tony nodded, "I'll think it over."

Dinah seemed to be content, leaning back in the chair to look at the screen with him.

He shook his head, snorting silently; he'd _think_ about it?

He just wondered if she knew that he'd already made his decision.


	14. Episode XIII Tony

**A.N. LilMissFerret here! Just to let everyone know, we are back on the wagon and writing once more! This chapter is sort of a closing piece, the end of act one if you like. More to come soon! We just have to get everything together and sent to the Beta. Happy Reading! :)**

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**Episode XIII**

**Tony**

He wore his mask well.

It was no longer a mere defense, but an armor, perfected and flawless. The playful smiles, the cocky smirks and intense gaze- it was a wall, erected and reinforced, lest people see who he truly was.

Most days it was fine; that mask was like breathing, subconscious and easy. He could go on his way, having convinced the world he was nothing but a playboy billionaire that wouldn't commit and couldn't take anything seriously.

But some days...some nights, his ghosts kept him awake.

The floorboards would creak, but the house wouldn't groan, so it wasn't settling on its foundations. Everything would still, freeze and tense, and his heart would slam against his ribs, a panicked bird trying to escape a permanent cage.

He'd sit up, sweating, terrified, in _anguish_, because he'd _swear_ he could catch the scent of soft, sweet jasmine in the night air. Petite, thin fingers would whisper up his arm, over his pulse, through his wild hair before tracing his lips. Hair dark as the night would brush his cheek, flutter over his shoulder.

He wanted to withdraw the dagger he kept under his pillow and carve his heart from his chest, hold the beating mass of flesh and muscle and blood in his hand, squeeze it until the beating stopped. He wanted to find a gun and fit the barrel in his mouth and pull the trigger.

Maybe, _maybe_ then, he'd be able to let her go.

Those nights she fluttered around his room, made soft, ethereal sighs and faded murmurs until the sleep he fought so valiantly for was a thing of the past.

It was so _real_, the faint cadence of phantom steps along the floor to the muted rhythm of her favorite tune, the one she would hum while she did her crossword, while she slit a man's throat, while she held him the first time _he_ took a life.

So real, so true, so _vibrant_, but completely impossible.

He'd buried her long ago, beneath a cherry tree in rural Japan.

She was probably little more than a skeleton now, he thought, with the oddest sense of detachment. Flesh melted away, clothes long gone, bones and wisps of hair in the dirt. That's all she was. No warmth, no intelligence, no heart or strength or...anything, really.

She was just...gone.

He shook his head as the house exhaled, settled and resumed its place in time. Everything went back to normal with the same speed it had changed, shifted, for just a moment, to allow ghosts to walk among the living.

He rubbed his hands vigorously over his face, trying to erase the past five minutes from his mind, but all he could think was how very _disappointed_ she would be, if she could see him, read his mind.

But it was crazy, surely, to continue living only because someone long since dead would be disappointed if you didn't.

But he was trying, _trying_ to build himself back up, to become the man she would have wanted. And while he could never, never find a woman to replace her, he was surrounding himself with people she would have liked, would have _loved._ People he found her most important, beloved qualities in.

Cain's scathing, unrepentant intelligence reminded him so much of her, before he'd _known_ her, her face stern and focused as she hacked a major computer system, and the commanding tone of her voice as she ordered everyone around. He remembered everyone obeying perfectly, as well.

The heart Analise brought to their ragtag team had him thinking back to lazy Sundays, where she would lounge about in his shirt, doors locked and curtains drawn, lazy kisses drug over soft skin. Hushed laughter and playful nips, whispered promises and home-cooked meals. It was home.

He could depend on Del, always, to be a moral compass, an entity of righteousness. Her kills were never pointless bloodshed, but an act of justice that the law refused to deal out, or one money elevated them from. Her sword was simple, her reasoning stone-strong, her conscience guiltless. She would never let him stray from their path, removed the wool from his eyes, kept his mind strong and his head on straight.

And on the nights he woke up, afraid someone was there trying to end his life, he went back to sleep with the knowledge that Dinah would always fiercely guard his back. He thought back to before it all went wrong, before he was arrogant enough to think a Yakuza boss would allow his baby sister to marry him. He remembered being called horrific names, threatened bodily harm and death, and how she had withdrawn her sword, voice deadly low as she defended him, and promised to cut down anyone in her path.

They cut the loneliness, made life bearable.

His eyelids suddenly felt heavy, his heart a bit lighter, and he just focused on the simplest, truest fact of them all.

He wasn't doing this for the world; he was doing it for _her_.

**Ͻ*Ϲ**

The smell of coffee drew him from his bed, made him drag heavy feet and tired eyes down the stairs, into the kitchen.

They were all up, an odd thing in and of itself. Cain was focused on the paper, violet eyes skimming the science section, though his lips would quirk up every so often at something one of the others said. Ana was busy at the stove, cooking what appeared to be a massive breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, gravy, and hash browns. She chattered, throwing the occasional piece of potato at her friend. Dinah was stretched out across Del's lap, head hanging off his thigh, hair falling down with gravity. The man was reading the sports page of the paper, a twitching smile plastered to his lips, as he watched her babble and argue with her friend.

It was warming, comforting, to know they were all there.

Ana saw him first, though it was merely a small glance. Then her dark eyes locked on him, studying his face, no doubt taking in the dark circles under his eyes. She cocked her head, "Are you okay, Tony?"

He nodded dismissively, smiling slightly as he took an empty chair, "Yeah. Fine. Just had some trouble sleeping."

The look Cain shot him was disturbingly knowing and _understanding_ of all things, just as the way Del averted his eyes and cleared his throat slightly was. Ana brought a mug of coffee to him, and he gave her a small smile in thanks. He sighed contentedly at the first sip, grateful she had fixed it _perfectly—_just enough cream to color it, and two tablespoons of sugar.

Dinah rolled over, resting her chin on the table as she eyed him, "You _sure_?"

"Quit nagging me _Mom_," he said, smirking wider when her brow jumped up. She frowned at him, picking up an errant piece of potato to bounce off his forehead, "I am _not_ your mother, _thank God_."

"I think we're all thankful for that," Ana snickered, bringing a couple platters over to the table before returning to fetch some more. Del was considerate enough to pass a plate to both Cain and Shaw, and then placed one across the way for Ana before getting himself one. Dinah, not one for breakfast, remained stretched across Del's lap. Ana returned, seating herself at the table with the last platter of food.

Maybe, just maybe, it wasn't so bad after all.

Perhaps, he had a guardian angel.


	15. Episode XIV The Starting Line

**A.N. LilMissFerret here to welcome everyone back to the world of PRV. I'm uploading six chapters for everyone to enjoy. Please feel free to send us a message if you find any errors or things don't quite check out right, these chapters didn't go to the beta. **

**Also this one is a bit of a copy-pasta hodge-podge, so it may have some questionable errors. Lol**

**Thanks for reading!**

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**Episode XIV**

**The Starting Line**

It had been late in the evening when Shaw had called them all together in the living of the Big House. The girls quickly stole the couch across from him, and the other two took the armchairs that sat on either end.

When the five of them had finally gathered, Shaw started up his surprise meeting, showing them diagrams and handing out assignments for various tasks.

"How are we even getting the Rangers?" Ana finally asked Shaw, propping her feet up on the coffee table.

Dinah sat up beside her. "Better yet, _who _are we getting for our Rangers?"

Analise nodded at that, hoping that none of them would be nearly as difficult as someone else she knew. She threw Cain a nasty look out of the corner of her eye, only to find him watching her, again, with that annoying little smirk of his.

"We have six morphers," Shaw explained, setting down a small tray filled with hunks of hardware. Each one had just a few hints of color to brighten them up and make them stand alone. Her eyes raced over the different ones: green, black, blue, yellow, pink, and red. "And six prospective teens."

"I _knew _it. You're going to trust six teenagers to save the planet? And fight in giant metal animals? Are you sure about this?"

Ana shared a similar opinion. They worked with teenagers five days a week at the local high school and she wasn't exactly comfortable sending any of her students out to battle giant monsters from outer space, or another dimension, or whatever. It didn't help matters that she had a decidedly uneasy feeling about just which kids Shaw, and all his craziness, had in mind.

"I chose to relocate in Angel Grove for a number of reasons -" he started cut off by something that sounded suspiciously like "fanboy" from Dinah. "Angel Grove is the most famous place in Ranger history, and more teams have come out of southern California than any other place. That being said, many of the former Rangers still reside in Angel Grove and the surrounding area, and have decided to raise families."

"Oh no," Ana whispered, turning to face Jess who had a similar look of shock on her face, though that might have been due to the sheer _insanity _that was their boss.

"Oh, yes, ladies. I believe you know most, if not all, of our future rangers," Shaw grasped his hands behind his back and paced back and forth, "Logan Scott, Elena DeSantos, Ian Taylor, Jaimeson Park, Alexandra Oliver, and, of course, Felix Skullovitch."

"_Spike?_" the girls shouted at the same time, looking at the man as if he had just caught on fire. The others made some sort of sense. They had qualities passed down from their parents that would make them better rangers than some of the others. Alex and Logan had _two _former Rangers as their parents. And since Jaime had started working for them, he had proven to have a good heart. But Spike?

Spike was the tall, skinny kid that was always making a fool of himself. Sure, Kim had been the original Pink Ranger, but Spike was much more a clone of his father than any child of hers.

"You can't be serious, can you? The others, fine, but Spike will kill himself!"

"Or get the rest of us killed in the process."

Cain and Del seemed completely undecided on the matter, and still hadn't spoken up, but they didn't know all of these kids. Instead they watched with mixed expressions as the others fought it out.

Shaw ignored their attempts to change his plans, however, continuing on his speech. "You will collect them after school Friday, and bring them here. We cannot wait much longer before Wintressa begins her assault on the world."

Nothing about this felt right. Bringing a handful of kids barely old enough to drive and forcing them into the deep, dark world that was the Power Rangers? If their sources were to be completely trusted, the evil queen was determined to take over the planet, like all those before her, and was bringing her army and magic to the table. This wasn't going to be pretty, and there was always the possibility that it wouldn't end well for them.

After all these were kids, someone else's babies, thrown out into a world much bigger than they had ever experienced before, and they were supposed to go out and slay monsters at any moment of the night or day. It would take away whatever innocence they had left, shred it, and toss it into the wind. They'd be saving the world, but losing apart of themselves that they would never be able to get back.

It was something they had chosen, almost a lifelong dream, to get into this mysterious world that the outsiders watched with awe, when in reality, it was anything but. To have that choice taken away was something entirely different, and something she wouldn't wish on anyone, especially not kids.

"You're sure about this?" Ana asked, and Dinah followed, "This isn't something we can take back, Shaw."

"Jaime's a good kid," Del chimed in at last, clearly still unsure. "The others can't be that bad, can they?"

"Friday evening," Shaw repeated, and they both sighed in defeat. They clearly didn't agree with this arrangement, and Del asked, "All of us? Or just Ana and Dinah?"

"We'll do it," Dinah answered. Analise nodded, "I've had all of them in class, and I'm sure Dinah has dealt with them on a few occasions."

The blonde nodded, and they parted ways, both women going off to strategize.

"We're in over our heads again, aren't we?" Ana asked, knowing the answer, and Dinah sighed in irritation, "Did we ever get _out_?"

-0-0-0-0-

"It's about time!"

Alex nodded her agreement, sagging against the door of her locker. Thankfully it was Friday, but the day had drug on so long that even the normally-peppy Ellie was dragging a bit. They were all putting their things in their lockers, looking expectantly at the clock, waiting on 3:24, and when that time hit, they slammed their lockers in unison, their little tradition to celebrate the weekend.

Down the hall just a few feet, Spike jumped at the sudden noise, putting his own things in his locker. He glanced around the door, watching them. Since they'd saved him, he was still trying to find a way to fit in their group dynamic. He was unsure of what to do with actual friends.

Not that it mattered, because Ellie caught sight of him and came running in her pink sweat and white jeans, sliding to a stop in front of him with a brilliant grin, "Hey, Spike!"

"Uh, hi," He answered awkwardly, watching as his new friends came to stand behind her.

Ellie waved exuberantly, "Well, come on, Spike. We were gonna go to Confetti's." Ellie didn't wait for his answer, she simply grabbed him by the arm and drug him to the door.

They all made for the car at a sedated pace, with the exception of Ellie, who danced along, twirling about, when they dropped in front of them, cutting them off from the vehicle.

There was about two dozen of them, blue creatures with an almost-navy color of hair, which seemed to be encrusted with frost. Their faces were like masks carved of ice.

Most of them dropped into a fighting stance. At least one of their parents was a skilled martial artist, and they had felt the need to pass some of these tricks on, if only for the protection of their children.

Spike, however, was not one of the lucky ones, and made a loud noise of fear, and Ellie moved back to grab him and keep him still.

They were out-numbered, _way _out-numbered, and none of them felt particularly happy about the odds.

They started to creep closer, making odd, jerky movements, almost like their joints were frozen.

The kids were focused on the crowd, pulling themselves into a tighter formation that protected Spike and Ellie and left no one with an exposed back, when the doors they'd exited a minute ago opened once again, and an authoritative-but-female bark sounded, "_Back off_!"

That got their opponents attention, and Ellie turned with Spike to find the biology teacher and librarian that had defended them just a few days prior. Apparently the librarian was the one that shouted, because she was already shrugging out of her jacket, and in the next moment she shot forward, hitting one with enough force that it flew back and shattered as it hit the tree.

That ultimately kicked off the fight. Logan fell back to help protect Spike, joining the biology teacher's defensive stance. She didn't seek out any opponents, but when they came her way, she knocked them back far enough that Logan could dispatch them.

The librarian, on the other hand, was making a war path, with Alex hot on her heels. Jaime was hanging back to take out any that headed for their collective exposed backs, and Ian soon moved to help Logan.

They were shattering like ice, like an icicle that has fallen and hit the ground.

When Alex and Jaime knocked the last one into a tree with a collaborative kick, all the children turned to look at their teachers, who were _clearly _ninjas or something.

Miss Rivers was asking Logan and Ian if they were okay, and Miss Wilde was swiping blood from the corner of her mouth, glancing around quickly to make sure everyone in one piece.

It seemed only then that it dawned on the older two exactly how all of the kids were staring at them, all with equal parts intrigue, shock, and suspicion. They glanced at each other quickly, having a conversation in a look.

"Woah," Ian gasped, clutching a stitch in his side. "What were those things?"

"I didn't know you could fight," Jaime told Dinah, who smirked in response.

"Uh, can someone tell me what just happened?" Ellie asked, her bright blue eyes scanning the adults that had descended upon them. "These blue things just appear out of nowhere and everybody is just okay with that?"

"I suppose we should explain," Miss Rivers said slowly, looking at Dinah for advice, while Alex's brow shot to her hairline, "You think?"

Alex took a step back, watching the older pair warily, exchanging a long look with Jaime, who stepped closer to the teachers. Logan met Alex's eyes, pushing Ellie and Spike back, while Ian stood his ground, but still looked worried.

Never one for beating around the bush, Dinah shrugged, motioning to all of them collectively, "You all have been recruited as the newest team of Power Rangers."

Silence reigned supreme as the kids continued to stare, incredulous now. They glanced once again at each other, and then Alex gave a short bark of laughter, looking between them, "That's _hilarious_. Nice joke, really."

"I'm afraid not," Ana winced slightly. "This was just the first wave of enemies. It's imperative that you come with us."

"Because it's totally normal for six teenagers to just _blindly _follow two women to some unknown destination!" Alex snorted, "You're both crazy."

"_Okay_," Dinah growled, giving Alex a less than friendly look, "I get it. It's unusual odds, and no, this wasn't the best situation to tell you this in, but we don't have a _choice _now. Get in your car and follow us. A minute of your time is all we're asking for, Alex. At least give us that."

"Its okay, Alex," Jaime assured her. "They're pretty cool once you get to know them."

That seemed to throw the girl for a loop. She second-guessed herself, eyes locked on her oldest friend, unsure of what move to make until Jaime laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder. He gave one small, sure smile. Alex turned with a sigh to give a collective nod, giving the women a stern look, "Anything seems funny, and we're gone."

"Fair enough," Ana held up her hand with a placating smile, and Alex frowned, moving warily to her Mustang, the others following closely behind her.

The women gave one another a look, one a half-wince, half-smile, and the other an eye roll and a snort, before moving toward their own respective vehicles.

**o.O.o**

Cain glared at the sheet of metal in front of him. They had imported hundreds of tons of steel, and the likely hood of that covering all of the necessary pieces was slim. For over a year now he had been toiling away at the monstrous machines, sometimes with help from their supposed leader, and sometimes with only the company of the rather talkative robot, Alpha 8.

Shaw had had the idea of what he wanted long before Cain had arrived, but knowing which animals should go where was far from a concrete, and workable, scheme. He had toyed with the idea, building a diagram and finally he had gotten to this point. The design itself was not hard. The mechanisms worked like any docking system he had ever designed before, but the transformation system was much more complicated.

After working out the kinks, the giraffe finally folded up in the proper configuration and the antlers on the stag were not getting caught on its sides when the foot took shape. But while he could build these from the ground up, when it came to the outer shells of the zords, he was having a bit more trouble.

Cain had never been one with an eye for color and patterns, and this was no easy feat. They had six different animals, each representing a different continent, and a different color. Nevertheless, he continued to bolt on the sheets over the steel frame, careful around the joints. Many of the details would be added later, when they added the paint, but there were also upraised lines and sunken recesses.

He was still working on the left arm of the megazord, what would become the tiger, when Alpha came shuffling up to him.

"Ai-yi-yi!" he called, gaining Cain's attention. "The rangers are here!"

"What?" he asked, shutting off his drill and pulling up the protective mask over his face.

Alpha flailed his arms with a sort of nervous excitement. "The rangers are here!" he repeated.

"Fantastic," Cain groaned, looking around the structure at the half finished zords. The last thing he needed was more pressure to get this massive task completed. And knowing Tony, the moment he had those morphers he had built on their wrists, the rangers would be out fighting monsters, blowing what cover they did have for the moment.

Knowing that he was supposed to be at the unveiling, Cain set his tools aside and made to stand. He was a sweaty mess, and even the solid spikes he always forced his short black hair into were coming apart. His clothes and skin were stained with grease, and after nearly twelve hours of hard labor, just getting up from the stool was painful.

Alpha followed him, quiet except for his awkward footsteps and the occasional noise made by his internal structures. The zord bay was kept at a distance from the houses, filling a large space underground so as not to attract unwanted attention. Aside from a few escape routes inside the bay itself, the only way to truly get in was through the massive doors for the zords themselves, or the long maze of tunnels that led back to the house.

Once a sprawling gold mine, the tunnels had been refitted and secured, making them safe to pass through and a convenient way of traveling back and forth unseen. The distance was so great, however, that without some form of motorized travel, the walk would have been unsightly. Currently they were using a mangled old golf cart, which was useful, but still required him to assist the robot onto it.

He assumed Alpha was afraid of him, considering that he was the only one not subject to his usually nonstop chatter. Cain wasn't opposed to that, but it did make his own plans a little more difficult. He had managed to adjust the satellites as he had originally intended, but this project had overtaken any thoughts of his own gain, much to his disappointment.

After a short trip at full speed, the two arrived at the main door. Cain stood back as Alpha let them in, as only Alpha was able to unlock the system. Tony had somehow managed to lock himself out as well, and he had designed the blasted thing.

The doors opened on the back wall of the basement, sliding out of the way and tucking themselves into the walls and then quickly snapping closed once they were free. The two women in their outfit had nicknamed their base of operations the Batcave, some reference or another that he did not, nor wanted to, understand.

All eyes were on him as he entered the room, distracted from the monitors and from their new mentors. He was a sight to behold, but the staring was unquestionably rude, and he found himself scowling at them all in turn.

Standing in a tight clump, as if they might be in some kind of danger, were their prospective rangers. They weren't completely ignorant, at the very least, but that didn't mean they had much of a chance.

He had never understood the choice of bringing in a team of underage and unprepared children to do such a task. They were supposed to be saving the world from all sorts of dangerous creatures and whatever else the current conqueror could throw at them. The perfect kind of situation to throw minors into.

Now that certainly wasn't the case every time the rangers had been called forth, but it was a common theme.

"Ah! There he is!" Shaw said excitedly, clapping his hands together as he made his way over to the final member of the team.

The man clasped him around the shoulders, ignoring the scowl that formed on Cain's face. "Our engineer, Cain," he explained to the teens. "He is the one responsible for constructing your zords."

Cain shook out of the man's grasp, as he snorted, "If by that you mean redesigning and reconfiguring the disaster you handed me, then yes, I suppose."

"_Cain,"_ Analise chided, tugging him into the corner towards his favorite chair like a naughty child in timeout. "Hush! You're going to ruin all the fun."

He rolled his eyes at her, but took the proffered seat anyway, leaning back and crossing his legs, prepared to watch this nightmare unfold.

"So you want us to become Power Rangers," Alex said, looking about the room. "Why us?"

Tony gave them a wide smile, and then gestured to the array of monitors on the main wall. With his other hand he pulled out a tiny remote, held it out, and brought them all to life. The first image was one of the original rangers, just the five of them, clad in their famous rainbow of suits.

"How well do you know your history?" he asked, although he didn't bother to give them the chance to respond. "Zordon, a being from the distant planet of Eltar, brought together this team using the power of coins he had helped create millions of years ago. These rangers, and all those who have came after them, have preserved the Earth, battled monsters, and defeated great foes that only wished to conquer us.

For his original team, Zordon chose five teens, who he felt had the heart and the strength to do what needed to be done. Jason Scott," he said, changing the image to one of just the red ranger, and then proceeded to flick through the rest of them. "Zack Taylor, Trini Kwan, Kimberly Hart, Tommy Oliver, Adam Park, Rocky DeSantos, and Kat Hillard. All of them have served the world as rangers, a legacy which you have now inherited."

"No way," Logan returned in awe.

They all looked around at one another, their minds blank. It was almost too much, and they were clearly having trouble accepting these astounding facts. They were direct descendants of not only Power Rangers, but the original Power Rangers. They glanced around while wearing looks of shock, some slack jawed, while Ellie really did start bouncing. Logan put a soft hand on her shoulder to halt her movement, and then Ian focused on Shaw, "Okay…okay. So we're Power Ranger spawn. How does that qualify us as Power Ranger Material ourselves?"

Shaw smiled again, clearly pleased with the question, "You each have important traits, traits that make a good person and a good hero. Intelligence, enthusiasm, strength, heart, confidence, and humility. I'll leave it to you to figure out which one is which."

Shaw's smile fell again, and he picked up a box, gently lifting the lid, to reveal six pristine, differently-colored morphers nestled into individual spots, "Do you accept this task?"

They huddled around one another, and Jaime looked at them, "A moment, please?"

The adults shared a quick look, followed by a unanimous nod. Each of them got to their feet, and then disappeared up the stairs to leave them to their thinking.

**o.O.o**

"This is crazy," Ian admitted, trying to process the influx of information. Never in a million years would he have guessed that his dad had been a Power Ranger. That was some heavy stuff, and he just couldn't reconcile the two images in his head.

His friends were having similar issues, but none more so than Spike. "I can't be a ranger!" he squawked. "I can't! There's no way!"

"You don't think this is some kind of joke, do you?" Logan asked, staring at the equipment scattered around the room.

"Kinda elaborate for a joke," Jaime responded. "Did you see those morphers?"

"I _better _be the pink one," Ellie piped in, bouncing where she stood.

Thus far, only Alex was silent. She stood there with her arms crossed, lost in thought. "Well," she said at last. "Should we do it?"

The group shared a look, before Logan answered for them. "Hell yeah, let's do this," he agreed, grinning from ear to ear.

Alex nodded, and then looked to the rest of them. "All or nothing."

One by one they all stepped forward, stacking all of their hands together. Spike still looked pale, but even he didn't resist.

"I can't believe were doing this."

"Hush, Jaime. You might actually enjoy yourself."

"What are we even supposed to say?" Ian asked, nodding to the pile of hands between them.

Alex cocked her head to the side, and then laughed, "Go go Power Rangers?"

They all joined in a moment later, some more sincerely than others. "Go go Power Rangers!"

**o.O.o**

The adults hovered at the top of the staircase, door ajar as they tried to listen to the teens down below.

"You lot are ridiculous," Cain informed then, breaking the tense silence.

"I'm trying to listen!" Dinah snapped at him before she returned her ear to the crack between the door and the frame.

"Fine," he huffed. "I'm going to take a shower."

They paid him no mind, only to jump away from the door a moment later. The kids thundered up the stairs, single file, with Alex in the lead.

"Well?" Shaw asked, looking at the girl expectantly.

Alex looked back at her friends, and then nodded. "We're in."

"Fantastic!" he said, bursting into his biggest grin yet. "Cain has disappeared for the moment so we shall discus you zords at a later date. However, you should have your morphers." He retrieved the intricate box from the coffee table, and removed the first of the devices from the protective foam.

"These are the Vendian Morphers, harnessing the power and forms of the animals scattered across the globe." Shaw held out his hand, and Alex warily lifted hers to his. He wrapped the band around her thin wrist. "You, Alex, will be the leader of your team. And the green cougar shall be your strength."

The others held out their arms as he placed the other morphers on them. "Jaime, your zord will be the black tiger, wise beyond measure, and your's will be the powerful red dingo, Logan. Ellie, the pink parrot will give you wings, and the proud yell giraffe suits you well, Ian.

"And Spike," he said softly to the last member of their team, "your zord will be the fleet footed blue stag." Spike's bottom lip trembled slightly as the weight of it all pressed in on him.

"We will be your teachers, your mentors, but we can only give you the tools. You must learn to use them yourselves."

"Now," he continued, his tone losing the serious edge it had gained. "What do you say to a tour?"


	16. Episode XV First Fight

**Episode XV**

**First Fight**

Alex glared at the meager contents of her tray. The stale, questionable taco took up the middle section, while a small carton of milk took up the left corner, and, instead of the disgusting substance they called re-fried beans—which, in her humble opinion, looked like a mixture of mud and bits of orange cardboard that was supposed to be cheese—a tiny apple was in the right corner.

She scoffed, poking the taco with her fork, one lip pulled back in a snarl, "What the hell is _this_?"

"It's _supposed_ to be a taco," Jaime said, eyeing his own skeptically from his spot beside the young woman, "but...I'm not too sure about it...?"

"Ift's fwine duys!" Ian said, mouth stuffed with the questionable food, "Ift's _dewicious_!"

Jaime grimaced at the bits of lettuce that fell from his friend's mouth, looking slightly ill, "_Dude_, stop. And I like tacos, but this..._this_ is not a taco."

"Tacos are disgusting," Alex said, claiming her apple and milk and shoving the tray away. Spike shrugged from his spot beside Jaime, "They're not_awful_."

"Matter of opinion," She snorted, taking a bite of her apple. Ian pointed at her tray, wiggling his eyebrows, and Alex rolled her eyes, shoving the piece of plastic at him with more force than necessary. He made a small noise of excitement, and Jaime watched him with slightly widened eyes, "Your stomach is a black hole."

He ignored him, and Logan, sitting across from Jaime, shrugged, "I mean, they're a little stale and the meat's a little too spiced, but they aren't _terrible_."

"_Matter of opinion_," Alex bit out, and Logan held his hands up placatingly. Ellie took her spot beside him, a small bowlful of salad er lunch. She lifted her nose slightly and berated them primly, "Maybe if you all would eat more _vegetables_..."

"I eat plenty of vegetables, thank you," Jaime argued, throwing his balled-up straw wrapped at her as he sighed, "I do, after all, have _younger siblings that look to me as an example and roll model_."

"Your mom on you again?" Alex said sympathetically, and Jaime nodded, letting his head hang, "_Yesssss_. Dad, on the other hand, snuck me a candy bar."

Alex laughed, shaking her head, "Your dad is the _best_. _My_ dad is totally lame."

"_Your_ dad's lame?" Logan said dryly, "I love him, but the other day I said 'Hey, what's for dinner? I'm hungry' and _I shit you not_, he goes 'Hi Hungry, I'm Dad'. I thought Harley was going to kill him for me."

Spike snorted, blowing a little milk out his nose. He flushed with embarrassment, but everyone save Ellie, who was too busy snarling her nose in disgust, busted out laughing. Through the tremors, Jaime tossed him some napkins, and Spike nodded in thanks.

They were still chuckling as Ellie squealed, shoving her salad so dramatically it went flying off the table and into the floor. She was still squealing as she forced her carton of milk open and took a drink, swishing it in her mouth before she squeaked, "They did something to the _chicken_!"

Logan made a face, taking a piece that hadn't made it to the floor and took a bite, snorting with quiet laughter, "It's just the taco seasoning, calm down."

"That is _not_ supposed to be on my salad chicken!" Ellie said shrilly, glaring at the offending mess in the floor. A few feet away, at the salad bar, someone shared her sentiments.

"This is _not right_!" Dinah protested, "It was supposed to be _spaghetti _today!"

"Looks like Karen isn't here," Analise noted, looking behind the lunch bar, were a rather large, homely, angry-looking woman filled the mild-mannered lunch lady's usual spot. "Maybe no one told the sub?"

"By god, _they should have_," Dinah hissed, poking at the chicken in the container at the salad bar. She eyed it skeptically, and Ana raised a brow, "What's wrong with you?"

"_This_ was my last chance for _not_ being a bitch the rest of the day, and they _ruined it_," Dinah growled. "The chicken has nasty spice on it, and the only dressing? Southwestern ranch! This is a travesty! This is just _wrong_!"

"You're being very dramatic," Ana said dryly, used to her friend's antics. Dinah pouted, "I'm very hungry. There is cause for being dramatic."

"You could pack your lunch," Ana suggested, shaking her own lunch box for emphasis. Dinah quirked a brow, "But then I'll have to get up earlier, and I just don't think I can do that."

"My _God_," Ana snorted good-naturedly, "are you _sure_ you're not one of the teenagers we have to deal with on a daily basis?"

"Depends on the day," Dinah hummed, picking at her sad bowl of lettuce. Ana laughed quietly, shaking her head. That was when Alex let out an ear-splitting whistle, though it went largely unheard in the noisy area.

Both woman whirled, and when they saw where the whistle came from, headed over. Alex motioned wildly at their trays, "Can you believe this shit?!"

"I know," Dinah agreed dejectedly, showing the girl her bowl of lettuce. Spike shrugged and Ana smiled encouragingly at him. Ian moaned, "_So gooood!"_

"_You_ are not a good judge of that," Ellie huffed, and Jaime nodded, "If we put sugar on a box of nails, you'd eat them. And your stomach would be fine."

Logan startled laughing, and Ian pouted at him. The boy in red held up his hands, "Sorry, man, it's true."

Ana shook her head fondly at them, smirking, "Did you guys study your biology?"

They all looked at her with wide eyes, and Spike whined, "Not a pop quiz! Please, no!"

"I guess you'll see," Ana shrugged, smiling as she walked away. Dinah looked at them and shrugged, "Sorry guys. Not much I can do. Now if you've got an overdue book, you'll see me later, _Ian_."

The boy groaned, head falling against his tray, and Ellie sighed, "Hopefully tomorrow will be better."

The next day's lunch, unfortunately, was no improvement.

It was burnt burritos instead of stale tacos, and the re-fried beans had been replaced with corn that looked more akin to yellow raisins.

Ian moaned in delight, blowing through his burrito so he could get to the one Alex had handed over. She, likewise, munched on an apple, glaring at the replacement cook. The woman glared back.

"I heard Karen was out with food poisoning," Jaime said, slowly picking his burrito apart and carefully inspecting each bite before putting it in his mouth. Alex snorted, "I'd believe it."

"It's _burnt_," Spike winced, "but not _terrible_."

"Well, the pieces that aren't _hard as a rock_," Logan added, spitting out a piece that was just that. Alex raised her brows, clearly unimpressed. Ellie sat down a moment later, dropping a Hello Kitty lunchbox on the table, "I was _not_ taking any chances."

"Good decision," Alex huffed, resuming her glaring contest. Jaime poked at his corn, grimacing in disgust, "Yeaaaaah. There's no salvaging that."

"Buf itf's so guuuud!" Ian crooned, and Jaime shook his head with a mixture of disgust and awe, "Your stomach _is a black hole_."

A couple days later, the started to notice a few strange things.

Karen, their usual cook, was _still_ gone, her gruff, homely replacement—named Cornita, they had discovered—and half of the school was absent.

"Did they change senior skip day, or am I missing something?" Alex sat in her usual seat, no tray, only an apple and carton of milk. She didn't _know_ what was for lunch, but it was more of the same, and bound to be disgusting, so she hadn't bothered.

Spike, Ian, and Logan were already in their spots, but even Logan and Spike could find nothing redeeming about this meal; they couldn't even tell what it _was_. Ian was oblivious, and continued to stuff his face. Jaime joined them a moment later.

"I overheard the principal talking," Jaime said quietly, his lunch the same as Alex's, "they said almost everyone's out with food poisoning."

The kids shared a look, and Ellie came squealing out of the gym, throwing herself behind Logan. Several people came staggering out of the same door, and one even projectile vomited on one of the vending machines. A janitor hurried over, and another bunch shot off for the bathroom.

Spike looked a little green around the gills, and Ellie had buried her face into a grimacing Logan's shoulder to avoid seeing it at all. Alex and Jaime had both covered their mouths, eyes mirrors of disgust. Ian, however, ignored the scene in its entirety, enjoying his lunch too much.

"They just all started..." Ellie shivered violently, clearly horrified, "_throwing up_! I hit the road when the first person gagged because _ew_, _no_!"

"I'd say," Logan said soothingly, smoothing her hair down as he tried to calm her. Spike looked at the scene of the crime—though it was blocked by a janitor and his materials—like a person watching a car wreck; horrified, but unable to look away. Alex and Jaime shared a loaded, suspicious look, and a chuckle sounded from behind them.

The Green and Black Rangers whirled, suddenly ready for a fight, but it was only Ana and Dinah. Ana smiled kindly, while Dinah smirked. Their biology teacher smiled proudly, "Smart kids."

"Brilliant minds think alike," Dinah agreed with a wink, tapping her temple. Jaime smiled, "You think something's up, too, don't you?"

"I know," Dinah said, eyeing the scene down the hall, and Ana rolled her eyes, "Paranoid."

"True," Dinah argued. She pulled something from her pocket, a small, electronic device that looked enough like a ring to not be questionable. Ana, however, knew better. She eyed her friend sternly, "Did Shaw make that?"

"Possibly," Dinah hummed, slipping it on her finger. It only went to the first joint on her middle finger. Ana sighed, "You _know_ how often his little _inventions _fail. You _know_. But there you are, using it anyway. What is it? What does it do? And if it's going to _explode_, don't you _dare_ use it in this building."

"It'll help us tell if our _lovely_ new food professional is a little more unsavory than just her appearance," Dinah said complacently. "And it won't explode."

She walked toward the angry looking woman with a uni-brow, tossing a 'probably' over her shoulder when she was halfway across the cafeteria. Her smile was bright and polite, though the woman's face didn't change. It might've even gotten a bit darker. Dinah held her hand out, holding it just enough to hide the device, and the woman held a meaty paw out, accepting the handshake.

It wasn't seconds later before Cornita yanked her hand back, growling, and Dinah's jaw tightened. She pivoted on heel and walked back to them gritting her teeth. She yanked the small device off when she got back and crushed it under her heel, "Well, she's not _human_, I can tell you that much."

"How?" Jaime asked, cocking his head, and she held her palm out, "That thing was designed with a voltage far higher than comfortable for a human. I think it barely tickled her. _I_, on the other hand, almost burnt off the end of my finger and I can't exactly feel my arm."

Ana eyed her, sighing as she took her friend's hand, "You're stupid."

"I'll live," Dinah shrugged, smugness rolling off her, "_besides—_"

"You figured out it was a monster," Ana sighed, rolling her eyes, "that's gonna _scar_."

"Wouldn't be the first, won't be the last," Dinah grinned, then frowned down at her arm, "I'm more concerned about the limp-noodle-formerly-known-as-my-arm."

"_Hopefully_, it's just cross-wired your nerves, and there's not _permanent_ damage," Ana scolded, shaking her head, "Let's get some ice for...I don't know what. I just think we should go get ice. You're stupid. You're gonna get yourself killed. Or someone else."

Dinah stuck her tongue out at her friend who drug her toward the nurse's office. She turned, waving at their charges, "We'll figure everything out tomorrow."

They vanished around the corner, and Logan rolled his eyes, glancing at Spike and then Alex, "Aren't _you_ two _lucky_?"

"Ours are better than _yours_," Alex defended, bouncing her apple core off his forehead.

The next day was, thankfully, Friday.

Logan and Ian shoved each other as they headed through the front doors around eight that morning, and Ellie had her arm looped through Spike's, dragging him along. Alex and Jaime brought up the end, chatting.

They were surprised to get inside the building to find the cafeteria _empty_.

As in, not a soul to be found. There were no teachers, or other staff, no students or coached.

No _anyone_.

The only people to be seen were the secretary in the office, looking a bit ill herself, and Ana who walked around the corner from the staff lunch room. She looked just as confused, and Dinah stopped short inside the door, helmet tucked up her arm.

"What day is it?" She asked, clearly confused as she looked for a calendar, "It's Friday, right?"

"Yes, it is," Ana said, looking around herself. She headed into the office, her fellow mentor following, and the kids filled the doorway. Shirley looked up, seeming a bit nauseated, and cleared her throat very slightly, "You all can go home. We canceled school for the day. Mass food poisoning. The health inspector's coming later. We stopped the buses. Do you kids have a way to get home?"

"I've got my car, yeah," Alex said, eyes locked on the television. Everyone followed her gaze, locking on the BREAKING NEWS flashing across the screen.

"_This is Cassidy Del Valle, reporting for the Stone Canyon Daily News!" _A pretty blonde woman said, hair being whipped around by the air stirred up both by being so high in the sky and the blades of the helicopter she was in. "_This is a Breaking News Bulletin! We have reports of a monster sighting in the valley leading from Stone Canyon to Angel Grove, and civilians in the area are cautioned to stay inside and off the street! For those already on the road, rescue workers are coming to get them to a secure location! We will keep you updated when we know more!_"

The camera man panned from the reporter to the ground below, zooming in. Nippies danced about, movements jarring and jerky. Humorously, a few seemed to be encased in something yellow and oddly shaped, almost like half moons. But, in the middle of the bunch, was a rather familiar looking.

Cornita's human face was gone, now replaced with a super-sized, dried corn cob, wider than it was long. Her limbs, likewise, had undergone a transformation, now appearing to be like the stalks corn was found on. Her eyes were just as angry, and a bundle of corn silk served as her uni-brow in this form. Her voice, though impossible to understand the words, was more grating than before.

"Shit," Alex swore quietly, staring at the screen, and Dinah held her hand up, "Bye, Shirley. Call me when everything gets sorted out."

Ana helped her usher them out the door, and when they emerged from the second set, it sank in. Alex bolted for her car, soon followed by a quick Jaime and stumbling Spike. Ellie danced along, and Logan and Ian fist bumped before darting off. Ana held up her hand, shouting to the car peeling away, "Be careful!"

"Let's go," Dinah grinned, "I wanna see what that bunch can do in HD."

The green Mustang fishtailed, then slid to a stop. The kids exploded from all four doors, though not with incident. Spike was moderately clumsy on a _good_day, and his legs got tangled with Logan's on the way out. The both went down.

Jaime, Alex, and Ian vaulted over them, and Logan's short temper was further when Ellie knelt, expressing concern for them both. He yanked himself up and dusted himself off, stomping after the other trio. Ellie tugged Spike up and along.

Alex slid to a stop, Jaime on her left. Behind him stood Ian and Spike. Logan and Ellie stood parallel to them.

Cornita's laugh was more like the sound of popcorn in a microwave than an actual voice, "Oh, look! It's the pathetic little _crayons_!"

The group, however, ignored her. Up close, they could finally tell what was on half or so of the Nippies.

"Are those _taco shells_?" Ian gaped, then began to snort with laughter. The select few Nippies in question jumped, almost appearing offended.

"Looks like it," Jaime said, appearing relaxed though his muscles coiled beneath his skin. Ellie giggled, but Alex wasn't amused, "What's your game, Cornita?"

"My mistress gave me the take of destroying you!" She cried. "I thought I'd be _subtle_, but the yellow boy has an iron stomach, and no one else ate my _delicious _food. Shame everyone _else_ is going to die, though."

"_No one_ is going to die," Logan growled. Cornita smiled, and that too was two, horizontal corn cobs, "Poor, stupid boy! Quit talking and _fight_!"

The Nippies rushed them, and the all fell into their preferred stance.

Alex's double open palm strike shattered the first Nippy on impact. Jaime kicked the legs off one, and then brought his elbows down on its chest to smash it. Ellie and Spike, however, were having a bit more trouble.

Ellie's aerial kick bounced off the closest Nippy in a taco shell. She flipped backwards, landing with confusion. Spike's hastily thrown punch didn't do much better, bouncing off the shell to fly back and hit his nose. He fell backwards with tears in his eyes.

"_Guys!" _Ellie shouted, vaulting over the taco shell one to check on Spike. Another ran at them, so she jumped, planting her palms on its shoulders and bending back, taking it with her. It snapped clean in half. When Logan glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, she called out, "The shells are _shields_! I can't break them!"

Their communicators chose that time to go off, and Alex snapped, "_What?"_

"_Guys, it's time to morph._"

Cain had the main seat in front of the bank of monitors. The largest was tapped into a satellite, giving an aerial view of the fight. The dominated against the regular Nippies, but their attacks bounced off the taco shell ones harmlessly.

"They're gonna be in trouble," Ana said worriedly, chewing on a nail. Cain's face was an expressionless mask, completely unreadable. Dinah watched, her phone pressed against her ear with Del on the line.

"She said something about everyone with food poisoning _dying_," Dinah said into the phone. Del huffed, "_They've just had three teens admitted to the hospital for dehydration. All been out of school since Tuesday, so I'd believe it_."

"Lovely," She sighed, shaking her head, "when are you guys mobilizing?"

"_We're not_," Del grumbled, clearly unhappy, "_There's something with the mayor afraid we'll lose too many people, or something. They're calling in SWAT until we can be trained as SWAT._"

"_Well_ then," Dinah said, at a loss for anything else. Ana began to pace, while Cain typed rapidly on the computer. He the jabbed a finger at a machine across the room, "Get one of them on their communicators. The morphers are online, and now would be a good time to use them."

Ana rushed across the room, while Dinah spoke, "And apparently the morphers are online so this won't end horribly. Probably. _Hopefully_."

"_Fingers crossed_," Del murmured.

Ana leaned close to the microphone, "Guys, it's time to morph."

"They _work_?!" Alex asked, dodging a taco Nippy. Ana's answer was tinny and excited, "_Cains says they're online. Give them a shot_!"

Alex gave a feral grin, flipping over its head to shout, "Everybody, on me! Time to show them what we're _really_ made of!"

They all met in the middle, and Alex shouted, "_Vendian Gift, Primal Assist!_"

The suits curved around them, a second skin that could breathe and move, almost like it had a life of its own. Energy coursed through them, made them feel strong and capable. Each helmet was a perfectly stylized version of their assigned animal.

They all took moments to check out their new duds, and look at one another. Ian was the first to discover the weapons strapped to their hips, Dinah's voice echoed now, "_The Primal Blasters. Its a condensed bolt of energy. Those shells won't stand a chance against those_."

That was all the encouragement Ian needed. He fired, blowing a baseball-sized hole in the Nippy's shell and chest. Pleasantly surprised, he fired until the Nippy was little more than a pile of melting chunks of ice and smoldering pieces of taco shell.

Ian whistled, observing the weapon with new eyes, "_Nice_."

"_Thank you_," Dinah said smugly, "_now go get 'em_!"

They didn't need to be told twice. They all withdrew their blasters, and with varying amounts of success, took to firing them. Jaime had the best aim, with multiple head shots, and Alex and Logan opted for quantity over quality. Ellie opted to tuck her blaster away, instead distracting the Nippies or shoving them into the line of fire of her teammates. Most of Spike's shots went wide, so he decided to assist Ellie. Before long, Cornita was the last one on her side.

The monster's odd face managed to show a bit of nervousness, but she tapped it down, laughing loudly, "So, you beat her foot soldiers. _I _am not them! Prepare to die!"

She threw bare corn cobs at them, and they all stumbled back when they hit the ground and exploded. Spike fell, and Ellie screeched in horror as one cob bomb flew toward him and...bounced off his helmet.

It flew back toward the one that threw it, and exploded when it hit her arm. Distracted, they all rushed forward, save Spike, who lay on the ground in a daze. Ellie checked on him, then cheered them on, "Take her out, guys!"

Logan's punch rocked her head, and Jaime's kick took her legs out from under him. Ian laughed maniacally, locking the monster's arms behind her back, and Alex grinned, "Anything else to say, Cornita?"

Her corncob smile was eerie and foreboding, "I won't be the last."

Alex's fist left a crater in her chest, and a moment later the monster was gone in an explosion of popcorn.

They all stood back, demorphing, and Ellie had herself under Spike's arm. He looked a bit dazed, and Logan glared at him heatedly. Jaime and Alex high-fived, and Ian bent, collecting a handful of the popcorn before stuffing it into his mouth.

Ellie stared at him, "Have you _no shame_?"

"Whaf?" He shrugged innocently, "'m humfry."

They all sat at the kitchen table. Ellie painted her nails a bright, glittering pink, while Ian and Spike fought each other on some game or another on their handhelds. Logan and Alex thumb wrestled, while Jaime and Del worked on a crossword. Dinah leaned over their shoulders, offering a bit of help on occasion, and Ana and Cain read a book and the paper, respectively.

Shaw blew through the door, skin now nicely tanned, with a hideous red and gold Hawaiian print shirt on, "_Hel_lo, everyone! Honolulu was great! But I'm starving, so I'll get dinner. My treat!"

"It's _always_ your treat," Ana muttered under her breath, and Dinah snickered with approval. Shaw looked at the menus on the fridge, pulling one off, "Mexican sounds good!"

He picked the phone up, only to recoil in shock when a pen jabbed into his hand, causing him to drop the phone. He turned around, faced with one look of slight amusement, one of annoyed disbelief, and eight mirrored expressions of dark promise. Dinah was standing, hands planted on the table, "Put that menu in the trash. If you don't, the next pen won't have the cap on."

"Chinese," Alex groaned, "Japanese, pizza, salads, the fucking _dumpster_ for all I care! I hope I never see a taco _ever again_."

"Why?" Ian asked. "Tacos are good."


	17. Episode XVI Jump Pt 1

**Episode XVI**

**Jump**

**Part I**

The day had started just like many others in the last several weeks, school, work, and afterwards just a bit of training to keep the kids on their toes for the coming monster attacks. So far, with the exception of Cornita Burrito (and even that had been tame), things had been quiet in Angel Grove.

But the peace would not, could not last. Wintressa was building her army as they spoke, preparing for the battles to come, and they must do the same.

"Ahem," Cain cleared his throat with a hint of agitation. He obviously didn't want to be here, Ana knew that, and judging from the looks the kids were giving him, they knew it too. "Today you become rangers. _True _rangers. You will harness unimaginable amounts of energy, energy that shifts and changes, growing and diminishing with the passage of time."

The eleven of them stood around the Batcave, hardly interested in what ever lecture Cain had planned for them today. He hadn't even cared to tell their supposed instructor, but that was Cain's way. Always keeping his cards close to his chest.

"I do not expect you to have a clinical understanding of the inner workings of you suits and weapons. However," he paused, cutting off Ian's exaggerated yawn of boredom with a murderous scowl. "_However,_ you will need to know the basics if you intend to survive this fight."

With a flick of his wrist and the clatter of fast fingers moving over the keyboard, Cain drew up a revolving image of a giant mechanical beast. Even the teachers scrambled for a closer look. Only Cain, Alpha 8, and Shaw had gotten anywhere near the zord bay in the last few months.

The massive cat stared into space with its empty eyes, and as Cain toyed with the image, he showed off all of the sophisticated details of the animal. The Cougar Zord opened its mouth, showing off razor sharp teeth. The steel hull split and reshaped itself on command, splaying claws as big as buses, as well as more off the wall mechanisms. Like the laser canon built into its mouth.

"Woah," Logan gasped, leaning over Jaime to get a better look. "Who's is that?"

"Ai-yi-yi!" Alpha agreed excitedly.

Cain opened his mouth to answer, but he never got the chance. "This," Dinah interrupted with a proud smirk, "is the green ranger's zord."

Alex scanned her mentors face for a moment. "So its mine? Seriously?"

"Yep," Ana joined in on the discussion. "But she's only so happy about it because that's one that _she _designed." Dinah made a face in her direction, but Analise only smiled. "Besides, _I _like the stag's design best. What?" she asked, catching her student's confused faces. "Someone had to design them, you know. They don't just pop into existence."

"_The point,_" Cain snarled. "Your zords will be the greatest weapons at your disposal. Each one is specially designed to suit your needs. They will fight by your side, under your command."

"You all have been assigned a personal zord. From the designs on your helmets, it shouldn't be that hard to guess who's is who's," Ana added helpfully.

"Alex obviously gets the cougar," Dinah put in. "Spike's is the stag, Jaime's is the tiger.. You get the gist."

One by one the zords flashed onto the screen. Each animal was huge and precisely built. They combined the sleek natural form of the creatures they represented with the cool power of steel.

"That's your's, Logan," Del said as he pointed to the red and silver dingo. Ellie's parrot and Ian's giraffe quickly followed suit.

"The zords are connected to the grid, and through it, connected to you. They are bound to you, and only you. There can be no switches; you're simply stuck with the one you are given. You may use your personal zord in combat as the need arises.

Like all of the zords before these, your animals can also combine together. The Vendian Megazord.." Cain pressed a few more keys and drew up a final image.

The Megazord appeared in all its glory, each zord fitted together, six beasts becoming one. There was an air of femininity to the machine, and her piercing green eyes seemed to glint with some kind of hidden knowledge.

Shaw quietly observed the images before them, fingers steepled, and brow poised in concentration. From what she gathered he'd given the final design choices to Cain, since he had been busy tweaking the morphers. The patterns were only simplified versions of their real life counterparts, but they still stood out dramatically.

"Well done," their leader finally acknowledged. The boredom had fled the room, overtaken by the excitement while the rangers argued over the best of the zords. "Shall we go?" Shaw added with a slight nod towards the secret door.

The four mentors fell in around him as Shaw unlocked the barrier. With a loud hiss, and a screech of indignation, the metal and concrete slid out of the wall, leaving the long dark hall beyond it open.

Distracted by the sudden noise, the rangers clambered over each other to get to the door. "Can we go?" Ellie asked hopefully.

"No," Cain answered sharply. Even her wide, pleading eyes didn't bother him. "We only have the one cart. Unless you want to walk, that is."

The rangers shared a quick look. "Nah," Ian answered for them. "We'll watch for monsters."

The yellow ranger jabbed her thumb over his shoulder, pointing to the plethora of videos pulled up on the far wall. One lazy car cruised down Main Street, turned the corner, and disappeared. Nothing else seemed to move.

Dinah shrugged. "I'm driving!"

A short argument followed, which Dinah quickly resolved with a hearty shove that sent a very angry Cain tumbling to the floor. He got back up, sputtering nonsense, and dusted off the seat of his pants. Ana gently grabbed him by the arm, tugging him down beside her.

Shaw chuckled, easily taking the backseat as well, leaving Del to take the passenger seat. The golf cart wobbled slightly under their combined weight, only to shoot forward as Dinah floored the gas.

The rangers watched, half amused, half disappointed, as their teachers disappeared into the dark tunnel. They were left only with Alpha, who chirped happily, "Who needs snacks?"

**o.O.o**

Seeing the zords exposed for them all to see over the screen was one thing, witnessing them in person? There were no words.

The mine that had once been here was completely gone. The tunnels had been expanded to rooms several stories high, each supported by tons of concrete and steel. The main room, once a hub for workers moving in and out of the labyrinth, had been gutted and refitted. Where once tracks and mine carts moved freely, now a smooth floor paved the way for the giant beasts.

Cain led the way through the foyer, past a trolley piled high with steel sheets, and another loaded with gallons of bright paints. They crossed the massive space in a matter of minutes and spilled into the first of the twelve rooms.

Even with the ceiling disappearing into the shadows, the room could not contain the creature within. The hull glinted dimly in the shadowy space, but even from the ground they could make out the large silver spots littering the yell-gold surface of the giraffe. Its legs were bent, as if it was asleep, while its head hung limply from its collapsible neck.

Shocked by the unimaginable sight, none of the teachers could make a sound. Even Cain, who had been the one to put them together, offered no insights on the projects.

They made the loop around the giraffe in silence, and then proceeded to the next room. Here the stag stood like a solitary watchmen, a far cry from its ranger. Its dark red eyes glared into the empty air, its whole demeanor seemed tense and dangerous. The wicked antlers atop its head aided the deadly image.

Next, they came across the Tiger Zord. Dark, and slightly smaller than the stag before it, the tiger still commanded attention. Silvery stripes decorated its back and shoulders, with three finer marks on either side of its face.

Cain led them past three empty rooms before entering another bay. The Dingo Zord loomed over them. Its mouth hung open slightly, its jagged teeth twisted into a snarl.

The green cat greeted them next, its massive claws splayed dangerously above them, casting them in darkness.

The mentors were just entering the last room, where the pink monstrosity that was the Parrot Zord perched, when a startling ring cut through the quiet.

A quick jog across the bay, and Cain returned, face contorted with agitation as he muttered into the phone clutched to his ear.

"Just watch them," he said a bit louder. "We'll be there soon." Alpha's chattering voice could be heard over the line for just a moment, before Cain cut him off with the press of a button. "Monster attack," he sighed, clearly disappointed, before turning back towards the golf cart.

**o.O.o**

It had been well over an hour since their teachers had vanished, and in turn each of the rangers had lost interest in the peace and quiet. The six of them had wandered upstairs, junk food littered the glossy surface of the coffee table, and a handful of candy wrappers had found their way to the carpet below.

The TV roared throughout the room, aided by the surround sound speakers hung on the wall, while the teens tried to talk over it. Alex was wedged in one of the chairs, legs swung over one armrest as she leaned against the other. Jaime threw her a mock glare as a piece of her popcorn found its way to his head, nesting itself in his hair with three other rouges.

With a brush of his hand he sent the pieces to the floor, where they joined the few that had missed their target.

Ellie giggled at the pair of them, one hand daintily covering her mouth, while the other rested on Logan's bared leg. The red ranger had draped himself over the couch, taking up so much room he had to rest his feet on Ellie's lap. Ian and Spike hadn't bothered to fight over the seats, and instead the pair of them had flopped to the ground, throw pillows propped underneath their chins as they argued over the remote.

"No more cartoons!" Ian huffed, yanking the hunk of plastic out of Spike's hand. "If I have to sit through another half an hour of _Spongebob _I'm going to off myself."

"What's wrong with cartoons?" Spike fussed back.

Ellie chimed in helpfully, "Yeah, Ian, its better than watching basketball."

"Hey!" Logan pouted.

Back and forth they argued, stopped only by the earsplitting burst of the siren.

"Turn the TV down!" Alex yelled over the noise, her hands plastered to her skull.

They fumbled for a moment, but finally the noise fell from ear shattering to a manageable screech.

"Danger! Danger! It's the big one, I know it! We'll all be destroyed!" Alpha called dramatically over the blaring noise. Charging into the room from the kitchen. One of Ana's hot pink aprons tied about him.

"Calm down, Alpha," Jaime assured the robot, one arm slung over his metallic shoulders. "Its just a monster. It'll be fine."

The rangers pushed and shoved their way back to the basement, climbing over each other for the second time that day as they reached the monitors.

"Is that…?"

"Ew! It looks _so _slimey!"

"Oh God…"

"Why does it have to be a fish!?" Spike whined, falling back into his chair.

"It could be worse," Ian chimed in with a shrug. "It could have, like, giant claws or something."

"Like that one?" Ellie asked, pointing at the screen.

Another monster had wandered into the line of the camera. Like the first, he was sporting a sharp suit and blood red tie, a mobster from an era gone by. He made a striking appearance, the red blended in with his hard crimson shell.

"_Two?!"_ Spike squeaked. "How are we supposed to fight _two?_"

Alex made to shut him up, but the chatter of a rapid fire Tommy gun cut their responses short.

"Shit," Logan muttered.

Alpha 8 called out, "Ai-yi-yi!" The robot scurried away as fast as his metal legs could allow. "Go rangers! I'll call the others."

**o.O.o**

"Fuck!" Alex cursed as she yanked the wheel of her Mustang. A bent stop sign straddled the road, quickly followed by the twisted wreckage of a car. Her front tires left the pavement as they jumped the curb. Her teammates jerked forward in their seats when she slammed on the brakes.

There was no time to waste, not even to catch their breaths, and so the moment they were stopped, the rangers poured out of the tight confines and into the ruined street. Jaime stumbled over the rubble on his way to the car, but Alex stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

They could both see the blood that painted the road underneath what had once been the driver's seat. One puddle, too much blood. "Come on, Jaime," she urged him forward.

Anger burned through her veins, sharpening her vision, and powering her determination. Jaime lingered for just a moment longer, then he too turned his back to the horror and faced the threat ahead.

To her left Ellie's eyes sparkled, a prudent mix of unshed tears and adrenaline. The slight girl bounced on her toes, ready for anything. Logan stood behind them, cracking his knuckles as he readied himself.

On Jaime's side, Ian grinned wickedly, amused by his own dark thoughts. Spike hid his fright as well as he could, lingering at the back of the pack while he chewed on the inside of his cheek.

"Ready?" Alex asked her team.

In turn the others nodded, and they began their march forward. One step at a time.


	18. Episode XVII Jump Pt 2

**Episode XVII**

**Jump**

**Part II**

The rangers moved from one street to the next, surveying the damage as they searched for their targets. They moved as quickly as possible, but the broken concrete and wreckage slowed them considerably.

A heavy fog of dust hung in the air making it hard to see, let alone breathe. As they made it deeper into the war zone the sounds of sirens and shouting drew them in.

Alex halted her group as they neared another corner. The others fell back against the bullet ridden wall, while she went to peer around it.

EMTs were scattered everywhere. Some hauled case after case of medical equipment, while others were moving bodies. The blood was splattered everywhere. Bright rivulets trickled over every surface, from one puddle to another, and several sprays had arched over the few cars parked against the curb.

Alex tried to ignore the causalities. They weren't here to help the dead and dying, they were supposed to be keeping anyone else from ending up that way.

Farther ahead, a smattering of police officers had posted themselves behind a flipped convertible, guns aimed at the entrance of Angel Grove's largest bank. This had to be the place. Decided, Alex ducked back around the wall and turned to her friends.

"They've got them holed up in the bank," she told them. "There's six cops out front. Probably two or three out back."

"Do you think they'd let us in?" Jaime asked her. His face masked it well, but she could feel the anger rolling off of him.

"Not like this," Ian added, gesturing to his street clothes. His tone was light and even, almost excited at the prospect.

Alex shot him a glare, but he had a point. The only way they stood a chance at getting pas the cops was in suit.

"We'll have to morph," she agreed reluctantly. "There's no other way."

"Are we going in the back?" Ellie wondered aloud, twisting her hands in the fabric of her skirt.

"No," the other girl answered sternly. "They'll be expecting us anyway." Her friends all seemed to be in agreement.

"After you," Logan muttered, his eyes alight with a need for justice.

Alex triggered the morphing sequence on her morpher, and with a simultaneous call the six of them stood clad in their ranger suits.

The stretchy material coated their shapes, armor in the form of a second skin. After a preliminary check, Alex smirked beneath her helmet. "Let's go."

**o.O.o**

Officer Skullovitch was positioned in the center of his squad. His issued firearm was steadied next to one of the punctured tires of a dark pink sports car, and loud speaker lay at his feet.

His hand quivered slightly, and he had to fight to still the movement. He had spent years on the force, rising from nothing to one of the most prestigious positions available, but even he couldn't believe it.

But then he had been one of the few to see the rise and fall of some of the strangest villains to come across the Earth, and had been right behind Bulk when he had started the battle against Astronema's forces so many years ago.

None of that, however, prepared him for the unexpected tap on his shoulder, now, as he waited on yet another alien to show itself.

"What?" he squawked, thinking that it had been the deputy beside him. Instead a delicate hand draped in black leather hovered over him. His bright blue eyes rose, searching for a face, only to find the hard contours of a mask staring back at him.

The Green Ranger stared back at him, her eyes hidden behind the dark visor draped in shining silver teeth. "Excuse us," she said, her voice strangely clear despite the heavy helmet.

Only then did he notice the other rangers standing behind her, each a stark contrast to the next.

"Hey, Da-" the Blue Ranger started, leaning over the girl's shoulder, but she stopped him with a hand to his chest.

"_Sp-_" Alex started to protest before clamping her mouth shut. "I-I mean _Special _Agent Blue, show the officer some respect."

Spike cleared his throat awkwardly behind his visor, "Uh, yeah.. I mean, yes, of course, A-Admiral Green."

Someone behind her broke into a hurried coughing fit, barely covering their sudden snort of laughter. "Excuse me," Ian answered a moment later, his voice strangely deep.

"Maybe we should introduce ourselves," Jaime added. "I'm Junior Officer Black," he announced hurriedly.

"Lieutenant Sergeant Red," Logan chimed in, following the theme. "And… Her Excellency, Ranger Pink," he said as he motioned to Ellie, who swooped into a bow.

Everyone turned to Ian expectantly. The yellow ranger didn't miss a beat, "You can just call me Mr. President."

"Well, uh.." Skull trailed off, unsure of what to make of the strange cluster around him. His men stood awkwardly behind him, waiting on his order. With a sigh he finally relented. "Hold your fire," he told the men. "Let them through."

"Yes!" the yellow ranger whooped. The green ranger jerked around in return, a glare hidden by her mask, and in the same breath, the red and black rangers stomped on each of his black boots.

The yellow ranger held his tongue, with obvious amounts of difficulty, and with a hurried thanks the six of them darted away. The moment the rangers left the relative safety of the flipped car, the shots rang out, sending them sprawling to the ground.

The crowd split into two effortlessly, rolling out of the way with practiced ease. Skull couldn't tear his eyes away from them, although he couldn't explain why.

It was his duty to protect the citizens of Angel Grove, but this… This was something different, more somehow. He tried to distance himself from the strange thought, and forced the hard lump that had formed in his throat down.

His men copied him as he dropped back into position, his grip sure and strong as he aimed for the unseen monsters beyond.

**o.O.o**

The rangers burst into the two far doors of the bank simultaneously. They had to slam their bodies into the hard walls as another volley of bullets rang through the air. Alex signaled her team, and moved to draw the blaster at her hip.

The others mirrored her, and at the first glimpse of an opening, the six of them made their move. They spilled into the open lobby, leaving the last of their shields behind.

There foes were easily spotted, as the two creatures were too outlandish to simply look over. The two massive hybrids from the video feed stared back at them, guns at the ready, although their surprise entrance had startled them for the moment.

"So what are you supposed to be? A mobster?" Alex asked the red beast darkly. "You know you're only about eighty years too late, right?"

"Ha!" the lobster man laughed. "You should mind your tongue, little girl, or my associate just might take it from you."

The monster by his side grinned at the prospect. The end of his cigar flared to life at his neck as he took a long drag through his gills. The puff of smoke came out his mouth, however, coating them in the rancid smell, as the smoke worked its way through their respirators. Ellie coughed violently beside her, and Spike gave a loud wheeze as the cloud enveloped them.

"You don't know who your messing with," Alex hissed back, fighting off her own coughing fit.

"Angry kids? Color coded outfits?" the mobster laughed. "It would take a moron not to guess. Right, Tim?"

The fish nodded dumbly at his side. Obviously the perception of his boss had flown over his head.

"Okay, okay," Ian interrupted, stepping between them. "I have things to do tonight, so let's just get this over with okay?"

Alex rolled her shoulders in preparation. "Sounds good to me," she answered with a hidden smirk. The green ranger sauntered to the right, trying to hide the slight twitch of her hand as she reached for the blaster holstered to her hip.

She felt a bit like a wild west cowboy, circling her rival, and as quick as that thought came, she pulled her gun. The first laser bolt flew over the lobster's shoulder, singeing the fabric there, and making him jump.

"Why you little - !" he growled, swinging his own gun in her direction, but Alex rolled easily out of the way of the volley of bullets.

Her team was one step ahead of her, already stationed behind the ruin of the teller's desk. The brutes must have been extremely confident, as neither of them had the sense to find shelter.

"Look, Boss," Tiny Tim Tuna laughed, "the brats are _scared._"

"On the count of three," Alex whispered through her headset, counting off the next few seconds as the pair approached them. "One… Two… _Three!"_

The six teens burst up, almost in sync, if Spike hadn't smashed into the underside of the desk first, blasters ready. The bright red flashes burned into their retinas, smashing everything they touched.

The heavy monsters couldn't dodge the way they could, and so they both took a generous amount of damage before their weapons ran out of juice. They ducked back down to reset the guns, leaving the others to pat down their smoking clothes, and curse them, of course.

Alex finished reloading her blaster, smashing the compartment closed, and turned to gather her team, only to see Logan creeping out from around the relative safety of the tellers' desk.

"Logan!" she hissed at his retreating back, but he barely acknowledged her before he rolled across the tile, firing heavily.

His hasty maneuver caused more trouble than he had anticipated, however, and the red ranger landed heavily on the floor, his weapon spent, and without cover. As his team piled out from behind the desk, rushing to his aide, the two monsters fell back.

Tiny Tim Tuna clutched at a seeping wound in his shoulder, and his partner seemed even worse off. The lobster man stared blankly at his clawed hands, each dripping a strange watery goo that was pouring from a giant hole in his chest.

The monster wobbled on his feet, his beady eyes full of hate as he glared at the six of them. Then, Lobster Mobster's heavy form smashed into the marble with a loud _CRACK. _Tiny fractures radiated from the steaming puncture in his chest in an instant, and a slick puddle began to accumulate beneath him.

With Jaime's helpful hand, Logan picked himself off the ground, blowing on the tip of his blaster, full of bravado. "So, who's next?" he asked the other monster pointedly.

The dark metal of the Tommy gun glinted dangerously as Tiny Tim Tuna swung the weapon Logan's way. The barrel aimed directly at the Red Ranger, right between his eyes.

Logan had nothing to fear, however, as Alex was crouched nearby. As she rose steadily to her feet, her own blaster in her right hand, and Spike's fallen weapon, lost in their hurried dash to Logan's side, in her left.

Their foe didn't have even enough time to blink before the shots fired. The twin beams of red light pierced the monster's torso, searing through the clothing and flesh.

The fish fell like his partner before him, a sodden heap of shattered ice and steaming cloth.

"Haha!" Ian shouted happily, slapping Logan on the back.

They were barely through a round of congratulatory high-fives, when a sharp pop drew their attention back to the debris. Before their eyes they watched the puddles conjoin. The liquid seemed to rise from the floor, growing and changing shape until it filled the entire space before them.

Stunned, the rangers barely heard the ringing voices in their ears. _"Get out of there, dammit!" _Dinah's angry shout burst through the static. _"The building's going to come down on top of you!"_

Dinah's shout was just fading from their ringing ears when the ground began to tremble.

"Earthquake?" Spike questioned, but there was no need to answer.

The gelatinous puddles were rapidly growing, filling the entire lobby. At last their mentor's warning sank in. These monsters weren't satisfied with simply melting away.

As they processed the unbelievable sight before them the rangers scuttled backwards, wanting as much space between them and the nightmare ahead.

"Come on!" Alex urged her team, one hand tugging on Spike, while she shoved Jaime forward. The others were right on her heels.

The six teens spilled into the street, stumbling over their own feet. Ahead, Skull and his squad had risen to their feet, unaware of the new danger.

"Get back!" Jaime shouted at them.

"Go-go," Ellie gasped, clutching at her chest. "The building-"

A deafening crack cut her off, followed by a painful silence. But the calm couldn't last. All at once the bank began to implode.

A cloud of thick dust billowed into the sky, masking the sun. The collapsing structure shook the earth, knocking them all off balance.

"Flip the sirens!" Skull yelled into his walkie-talkie. "Monster attack!"

Someone on the other line must have gotten the message, because all at once the thick air was filled with the wail of a thousand sirens. The city, once again, was in a state of emergency.

And judging from the half-formed giant rising from the rubble, they'd run out of time.

**o.O.o**

"Are they okay?" Ana asked breathlessly. "I can't see anything!"

The others echoed her sentiments as they tried to peer through the vast cloud of dust and debris.

With a few taps on the keyboard, Cain pulled up a series of pulsating spots along the bottom of the screen. The color-coded heartbeats raced on as the air began to clear. The image before them danced wit h static, and worse, in the heat of destruction, the camera had been knocked sideways.

The surrounding buildings jutted to the side, hovering in the air, and of the far left, their rangers crouched, eyes on some unknown source beyond the reach of the camera.

The mentors watched their students curiously, heads cocked and eyes narrowed. On the screen Alex pawed at her helmet, but if any of them tried to speak, their words were lost to the static.

Dinah leaned closer to the screen. "Why can't we hear them?" she asked, to no one in particular.

"Interference," Del answered gruffly, jabbing a thumb toward the opposite wall. Another of the monitors displayed the radio signal that connected the rangers and the Batcave. As they watched, the image jumped back and forth and disappeared at odd moments.

Although frustrating, the radio was the least of their concerns, and as they returned to the task at hand, the rangers were suddenly pitched across the screen. A moment later the cause of the disturbance became obvious as a monstrous foot invaded the scene.

"Cain!" Ana panicked, clawing at his shoulder over the back of the chair. "Do something!"

"Alpha?" Cain asked the mysteriously silent robot. Alpha chirped in response, his attention pulled away from the screen.

Alpha moved to the far side of the room, to Shaw's nest of machines. In a flurry of surprising speed, Alpha called up the zord programs, and pressed the large green button above the keyboard.

The change was instantaneous. The sirens coughed to life, but the sound was different. The low howl was accompanied by the usual lights, although they pulsed far slower. Finally, a slight ripple of vibration moved through the floor, rattling the desks, and sending a cup full of pens tumbling to the tile below.

The mentors held their breaths, but their worries were for naught.

**o.O.o**

"Shit, shit, _shit!"_

"Would you shut the _fuck _up, Ian?" Alex growled. The mutant monstrosity took another step toward them, forcing them back as the ground shook violently beneath their feet.

"Why aren't they answering us?" Ellie whined. The pink ranger was curled up around herself, her eyes trained skyward.

Jaime sighed, trying to force his own eyes away from the approaching danger. "Maybe they can't hear us?" he answered with a pointed look towards Alex.

They were all battered and bruised, with huge spans of bare skin and strips of circuitry showing through their various colors. A thick stream of blood trickled down Logan's fingers, puddling on the cracked sidewalk. Spike swayed slightly on his feet, dizzy from a nasty blow to the head. And Alex, as she spun to face him, stared out behind her cracked visor.

One gray eye, widened by adrenaline and fear, pierced his own. Something sparked and crackled inside her helmet, probably the built in headset. She didn't need to say a word, but he echoed her thoughts. _What _were _they going to do? _

As his mind wandered another dark shadow covered them from above.

"Aahhhhh!" Spike squawked, covering his head.

Ian, cringing next to the blue ranger, gasped loudly. "What is that?!"

"Its… it's a bird," Logan answered quietly, as he turned to Ellie.

The pink ranger bounced on her heels, her fear calmed. "And its _pink!_"

Sure enough, the hulking, mechanical bird was striped in three different shades of pink, its silver beak opened to reveal a canon mounted inside. The beast blasted the mutant with a string of pale lasers, forcing it back.

The bird nimbly swooped around the tall buildings, its jointed wings folding and twisting like a real animal, and it was far from alone. The piercing screech of metal on metal announced the arrival of the other zords, each of which a little less versatile than the parrot.

The green cougar zord scaled a building above them, as if the cat was merely climbing a tree. Each movement of its giant claws cut into the building, ripping the air with another shriek. The zord itself was far more impressive in person than a diagram could ever convey, especially when it leaped in front of them, barely avoiding their feet.

Alex whistled in appreciation, patting the cold steel. The zord stood stories above them, flowing easily from green to silver.

"So…" Ellie started, still awed by the awesome sight before her, "how do we, you know, get in?"

They shared a collective look, except for Alex who was busy inspecting her new toy.

The answer came from an unlikely source, as Spike gulped behind them. "Shouldn't we just jump?"

"Jump?" Logan asked, clearly rolling his eyes behind his visor. "How to you expect to _jump_ into these things?"

Ian laughed appreciatively, "Sorry, man, but there's no way."

"Well," Spike sputtered. "Everyone else does it that way."

Jaime opened his mouth to speak, but a sharp blurr of green drug his attention elsewhere. Alex, it seemed, had taken Spike's advice, and in a split second, she had been carried from the ground to the cockpit of her zord high above their heads.

"Well then," Ian shrugged, clearly amused. "Guess, Spikey here, had the right idea!" The yellow ranger grabbed Spike pulling him into an awkward one armed hug.

Logan grunted his disapproval, but as the cougar moved under Alex's touch, and the dingo approached its master, he followed suit.

Soon all of the rangers were tucked securely inside their various cockpits, a flashing array of buttons and switches at their fingertips. Luckily, the zords ran mostly on autopilot, although they did have to steer.

Their fumbling aside, whoops of glee echoed through the zords, and with the right assortment of button smashing, they brought the giant, albeit slow and dumbed down version, monster. It screamed, a garbled twist of two voices, as the jagged horns of Ian's giraffe smashed into its side.

The parrot dived, the talons on its feet digging into the fleshy parts of its face, and Logan shook its body with the mighty fangs of his dingo. None of them were quite sure which had cast the finale blow, but when all was said and done they each had something to say.

"How cool was that?" Ian asked after they had demorphed. Their street clothes were in near perfect condition, where the blood had yet to soak through, but their bodies were worn out. "Did you _see_ the griaffe go? Who needs a car when you have one of those babies?"

No one could disagree with him, really, but they all groaned. "Give us the play by play later, okay?" Ellie grumbled, fitting herself into her usual spot on Logan's lap as they piled into the car.

"Yeah, my brain fills like its going to explode," the red ranger agreed, flopping his head back against the seat.

"Okay, okay," he said, holding his hands up in defeat. "It was just pretty damn sweet if you ask me." With that, Ian scrunched up Spike, pressing the blue ranger into Logan, and slammed the door closed. "Take us away, boss!"

Alex revved the engine in acknowledgment, and then with a burst of speed, the green Mustang, darted forward, leaving the destruction far behind. If only for the moment.


	19. Episode XVIII The Butterfly Effect

**Episode XVIII**

**The Butterfly Effect**

This day just kept going from bad to worse, except a thousand times more than that. "Nononononono," Spike panted, as he drug himself backwards across the ground. The monster in front of him kept blasting him with strong gusts of wind, and sending him head over heels. And that was him, who couldn't stand up under normal circumstances.

She also had this weird magic dust that made his skin erupt in bright red welts, but she wouldn't let him up long enough to morph. Or call for back up.

And it was all because he had gotten embarrassed and stomped off to be by himself. Because that _always _ended well. Or not. Mostly not.

He'd been worn out this morning. He wasn't good about going to bed early, or getting up on time for school, and more often than not, he slept on the ride between his house and the school, even when Alex picked him up, and dozed off in class too.

The night before had been especially bad. He'd been up all night anyway, but when he had tried to sleep, Spike had been plagued by nightmares.

He was dead tired, and not in the best mood to begin with, and of all of the lessons Ana had chosen to teach for the day, it just had to be about insects.

"They're _so _pretty!" Ellie chattered excitedly, examining a tray of pinned and preserved butterflies. Twenty or so of the bright creatures were laid out in front of them, each in a different color and pattern.

"Uh, yeah, I guess," Spike had answered uneasily, rubbing his arm. He kept his distance from them, but even the four feet of empty space wasn't enough.

He kept reminding himself that they were dead, but he didn't know if that really made it any better. All he could think about was the one time when he had been attacked by butterflies, and his heart rate just kept climbing.

His mother loved the park, even now that they were all too big to really enjoy the playground, but when they were little they had gone almost everyday. He could remember that particular day very clearly. From his favorite Spiderman light-up sneakers he had been wearing, to the sweet, rainbow popsicle he had been sucking on.

Spike had only been five at the time, and he had accidentally dozed off on their blanket spread across the grass while his mother pushed Trixie on the swing set. He was sleeping peacefully, warm under the afternoon sunshine, until something tickled his nose.

Without opening his eyes, he swatted at the annoyance, but the sensation didn't go away. It just got worse. Truly awake then, Spike opened his eyes, blinking the sun out of his eyes. And then he screamed bloody murder.

There, sitting on the tip of his nose was the scariest thing he had ever seen. Two bulging, black eyes stared back at him, and its long, tube of a mouth ran along his skin. Spike sat up quickly, scaring the monster back, and a handful of others he hadn't yet seen as well.

His mother came running in a panic, but the damage had been done. They had pretty wings, but he knew better, butterflies were pure evil.

"Spike?" Ellie interrupted his daydream. "Are you okay?"

He blinked at her, trying to focus. "Uh, yes?" he returned, confused. "Yeah, I'm - I'm good."

"So which one do you like best?" she asked, all of her previous concern gone. "I like this one, here." She lifted the tray off of its place on the table and spun to show him better.

The girl couldn't have expected he would panic, but when he backed up, spewing nonsense, Ellie stopped in her tracks. It was too late for that, though, and he ended up against the desk behind him. With his weight against the poorly supported tabletop, the desk toppled forward, sending both him, and it, crashing to the cold tile floor.

"Ow," he groaned, reaching up to feel his head where a rouge text book had smacked him.

"Oh my God!" Ellie shouted, dropping her tray and running to his aide.

Ana was at his side a moment late. "Oh, Spike," she cooed, helping him back to his feet. "What happened?"

His other classmates stood around them, some of them snickered, others looked completely disgusted by his pathetic behavior. Alex, however, was mysteriously absent.

"Nothing.. I just fell," he muttered, his cheeks flushed as he shook off her hold.

Ellie looked about ready to cry, and when she grabbed his arm, she asked, "Was it the butterflies? I'm sorry Spike.. I didn't know you were scared of them."

"I'm not scared!" he huffed, which only upset her further. "I-I just don't like them."

Spike didn't want to make her cry, but with everyone around the room, watching him, he already felt awful enough. He didn't need her making it worse.

He didn't waste anymore time, as he pushed through the crowd, snatched his navy and black camouflaged bag, and hurried out the door before anyone could stop him.

His own eyes were brimming with angry tears when he bumped into Alex in the hall. "Spike?" she questioned him, puzzled. "Where are you going?"

He looked up at her, his brown eyes met her stormy ones, for the briefest of moments, and then he cast them back to the ground and continued his hurried pace until he had found an unsupervised exit, and left them all behind.

**o.O.o**

Spike wandered through the shadows. He knew better than to go home, his mother would be there by now, and with his hurried exit from school, surely his parents would have been called.

He jerked his head up suddenly, warily searching the road for his father's police cruiser. It wouldn't be the first time he'd been picked up and had to ride in the back like an escaped criminal. When nothing turned up, he sidestepped, taking an animal trail into the underbrush, just in case.

He'd been wandering for well over an hour, working his way towards the park on the opposite side of town. Spike had a vague idea where he was going, and he was never too far from the road.

With his legs beginning to cramp, Spike took the opportunity to take a break. The tiny clearing was bright and warm, and the sun filled every corner. He slung his bag against an old log, and yanked his jacket off.

His shoulders protested the movement, and he mentally cursed the vicious training he'd been doing. His short sleeves shirt revealed the medley of scrapes, bruises, and gashes that trailed from his wrists past the hem of his black shirt. Every inch of him was sore.

Broken, inside and out, Spike sighed. He dropped his long, lanky form to the ground next to his belongings. He didn't want to think about the monsters anymore, he didn't want to think about anything anymore.

Spike dug into his pocket, discarding the candy wrappers and lint. His phone vibrated softly in his hand, but he ignored the messages that litter the screen. Instead he plugged in his head phones, and shut out the world.

**o.O.o**

He was half asleep when he felt the faintest of taps on his shoulder. Spike leaped, torn from his peace by the unexpected gesture. Reeling from the surprise, Spike scrambled backwards. Standing before him, draped in all the colors of the rainbow, stood the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

"W-who are you?" he stuttered out.

"No, no, child, let's talk about you," she answered. Her silky voice sent chills down his spine, and just watching her made his limbs go weak and useless. The lady floated towards him, hardly touching the ground as she moved.

Every nerve in his brain was firing, a chaotic swirl of panic and adrenaline. And only one coherent thought was making through. _Monster._

"Don't be frightened, child. I don't want to hurt you," she continued to coo. The woman reached for him, revealing long, jet black fingers from beneath her colorful cloak. "Come to me."

With the brush closing in around him, Spike was left with two choices. He could stand and face this creature, or run for help. His friends were only a call away. They would be here in moments. _Wouldn't they?_

A trickle of doubt lingered in the back of his mind, and he wasn't sure he could really outrun her, especially not with so many things to trip over in his path. Decided, Spike fought with his jelly filled legs, and forced himself back to his feet.

"Who are you?" he repeated, his voice stable and even. "What do you want from me?"

His adversary didn't seem to like being addressed in such a manner, and with the upwards tilt of her nose, she replied stiffly, "I am Lady Beautifly, Queen of all insects."

Despite the rock that found its way to the bottom of his stomach, Spike school his face into what he hoped was a sneer. "Insects? All of the plants are shaking in their boots!"

The blue ranger continued to laugh, desperately trying to hide his shaking hands. What was it that Ana always said? _Your fears are only as real as you make them, _her voice whispered in his ear. But her words could not settle him now.

"Insolent boy! I will make you pay for insulting your superiors!" she hissed, her once smooth voice replaced by the sound of an angry bee hive.

In an instant she flared up, her cloak exploded outward, exposing her hard, segmented body, and her extra pair of arms. The fabric itself became a massive set of wings, where every color imaginable was represented in the impressive wingspan.

Her beautiful face morphed as well, her bright eyes going dark, bulging from their sockets, and her pointed nose became more of a tube.

"_COME TO ME!" _she raged, taking to the air.

He didn't have the chance to morph before she was berating him with a shower of purple dust. The powder trickled over him, seeping into his clothes, and burning his eyes. His bared arms flared red as welts the size of walnuts crawled their way across his skin.

Spike yanked the hem of his shirt up to his mouth, but his throat was already on fire, and the action only made more skin visible. His pale, flat stomach exploded in color, and Spike shrieked.

He fell to the hard ground, landing in a thistle that ate into his raw hand as he tried to brace himself. Spike tried to push himself back up, mouth still covered, but he was shoved back to the ground with a sudden blast of dry air.

With wings large enough to cast him into the shadows, Lady Beautifly continued to bare down on him. She cast dirt and leaves into the air, where they mingled with the poison dust to create a lethal cloud. A flying stick soared over his head, its small appendage tearing a fresh gash along his forehead.

Blood poured into his eyes, but he was pinned, unable to even wipe it away. The wind roared in his ear, deafening him, and without his sight, he was alienated, completely.

But just as suddenly as the wind picked up, it was stopped, and the objects held in the air crashed home. Someone leaped over his head as Spike was forcing himself up. Someone clad in tight black spandex.

"Jaime?" he coughed through his swollen throat.

But it wasn't only Jaime. Ellie swooped into view with a wild cartwheel, dodging the fallen log, before landing in a poised crouch. She slipped her blaster out of her belt, taking aim at the beast before her.

Logan and Ian crashed into view next, weapons readied, but their leader was mysteriously absent. "Nap time's over, Spike," Alex announced as she perched behind him.

Spike studied her upside down, trying to put the words together when she hauled him to his feet. The boy stumbled, but her steady hand kept him upright.

Once she was sure he was stable, Alex pounced into the fray in front of them. He couldn't stand around while the others saved his ass, even with his vision impaired by the fresh wound. Spike took one steadying breath, morphed with a bright flash of blue, and charged headfirst, falling between his friends as they took turns bashing the beast.

Lady Beautifly took the pounding gracefully, her only emotion a prudent mix of anger and determination. At least until one of Ellie's rounds sank into the mural of her wings. The laser blasted through the fine membrane, and left a scorch lined hole the size of a fist, leaving the appendage hanging uselessly at her side. The monster screamed with enough force to send them all reeling backwards. The high pitched noise seared into their brains, and left them confused.

In a last desperate attempt at success, Lady Beautifly launched herself at him. Spike tumbled under her weight, and the pair landed in a heap in the dirt. Her fine fingers clutched him tightly, one pair pinning his arms in place, and the other wrapped around his throat. "I will have you," she laughed menacingly into his ear. "You will be _mine."_

The pressure on his throat grew by a tenfold, and Spike's vision started to darken around the edges. He could feel the small tugs on his neck as his friends struggled to free him, but whatever they did her grip remained true.

And then the world went dark.

**o.O.o**

"Is he..?" Ellie whimpered, peering through a tiny gap between Logan and Ian. The two boys had frozen there after revealing their fallen teammate. Ian's blaster smoked, where he had dealt the final blow. Her own weapon lay behind her, forgotten in the heat of the moment.

Alex kicked one of the limp wings out of the way, exposing the rest of Spike's still form. Jaime was up by his head, nimble fingers searching for a pulse. Without focus, their suits had dissolved around them, and the four others looked on impatiently for the verdict.

"He's got a pulse. It's faint, but steady," Jaime answered them quietly. "We need to get him back to the Big House."

Without question Ian stepped forward, concern marring his usually cheerful demeanor. He moved cautiously, and with great care, and a little help, he managed to lift Spike off the ground with out jostling him very much.

"Lead the way," he told them once his grip was sure. "I've got this end of it."

And so they started the trek home, worn out and silent, without so much of a glance at the form they left behind.


	20. Episode XIX Framed

**Episode XIX**

**Framed**

Logan groaned, his head falling to the table with a dramatic thud. Ian's baleful look seemed equal parts sympathetic and defeated, and Ellie and Spike flipped through their textbooks frantically, looking like a pair of cornered wild animals.

Alex shot Jaime a questioning look, and he sighed, "Geometry test."

Alex nodded, then grinning evilly as the warning bell rang, "_So_ glad I don't have that this semester. Now, off to gym, to _destroy_ all my opposition!"

Jaime made a confused face, to which Alex purred, "It's Wednesday."

"Ah," Jaime conceded, "dodge ball."

"They're going _down_," Alex growled playfully, punching the air, and then she took off, shoving through a pair of jocks to get into the gymnasium. Jaime shook his head, watching her go, and then turned back to his panicking friends. He sat down by Spike, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Guys, it's okay...it's just geometry."

"But all the _shapes_!" Spike whimpered pathetically, and Ellie squeaked, "What if I forget what a circumference is?! Then I can't do _anything_!"

Jaime opened his mouth to argue, but Ian cut in, yanking on his short hair, "And the _variables_!"

And, in what was possibly the most remarkable thing of all, nodded fervently at Spike, "_The fucking shapes!_"

Jaime stared between them, brows drawn together, and he then opted to stand, tugging his bag up on his shoulder. He jerked a thumb over his shoulder, "I'm gonna go on up; I'll see you there. Good luck."

He was settled in his desk far before his friends—and teammates, he thought suddenly, with the odd sort of detachment that comes from disbelief—ever wandered into the room. They were all jittery, save Ian, who had apparently given up all hope, and was taking the approach of giving no care to anything now.

Jaime shook his head, and waited patiently for their teacher to arrive...which took a bit longer than it _should_, as the principal snapped from the hall, "_Veronica_! Get in your classroom _now_."

Their teacher swung through the door, her face twisted into an angry scowl as she slammed the door shut. Several students—his friends included—jumped at the noise, and Ms. Danes snatched the stack of test up off her messy desk angrily. She slapped a thin stack on the desks of each student sitting at the front of the row, and grumbled, "Pass them back. You have thirty minutes to complete it, and any answers not completed will be marked _wrong_. No peeking, obviously. If you start before I give the okay, it's an automatic zero. Hope you studied."

She flopped into her chair, and simply said, "Go."

Jaime started on his test, confident that he would have no problems.

Twenty minutes later, with only ten minutes left in class, Ms. Danes stood, and began to pass the graded tests back out. Jaime waited quietly, confident he had not only a passing grade, but a _good_ one, while his friends were in varying states of distress and apathy around him.

He was shocked to the core when his test landed with a giant zero at the top, and SEE ME AFTER CLASSwritten in big, bold, red letters at the top. He looked up, and his teacher all but glared at him. He was staring at the test as Ellie squeaked in triumph—"An _86_?! I'll _take it!"; _Spike gasped, wordlessly satisfied with his 79; and Logan groaned, not happy with his 66. Ian crumpled the test up and stuffed it in his mouth, chewing on it before spitting it out with a loud plop on his desk, grade unknown but apparently not good.

Jaime was glad, for once, that his friends were too absorbed in their own papers to ask about his, and he hung around after the bell rang, sulking up to her desk.

Ms. Danes sat back, arms crossed as she clicked her tongue, "Jaime, I can't believe this."

Jaime stayed silent, allowing her to continue her tirade.

"Id expect this of Ian, or Logan, but not _you_," She sighed disapprovingly, and it hit him _deep_. He'd never been on the receiving end of such a thing, and it bothered him deeply. She shook her head, "_Cheating_, Jaime. What will your father think? I have no choice but to fail you and report you to the principal. It will be, at minimum, a three day suspension."

His head snapped up; _suspension_?! He'd never had _detention_, suspension was unfathomable! He gaped like a fish out of water, "_C-cheating_?! Off of _who_?!"

"Jimmy," She said with narrowed eyes, "as if you don't know. He brought it to my attention when he turned his test in. If you didn't study, you should've just accepted your grade gracefully. This is uncalled for. You're dismissed, Jaime. I'm sure the principal will call you in shortly."

Jaime meekly left.

Jaime cowered in the passenger's seat of Alex's car, his other equally-disbelieving friends already making for the big house. Alex quaked in rage beside him, muttering violently, "That little _prick_...you just fucking _wait_ til I find out who he is...he will _regret_ this...I'm gonna hit him so hard his _great-great-_great-grandchild _feel it_."

Jaime started dismally at the 3-day suspension slip in his hand, murmuring, "What's my _dad_ gonna say?"

"That that _bitch_ teacher and that_ dipshit_ kid are _stupid_ and _wrong_!" Alex raged, swinging out of her car quickly; Jaime followed out of fear for what she might do.

And justifiably so, because Alex was shouting as loud as she could, her voice echoing across the yard, "Ana! Ana! _Ana! Analise! AAAAAANNNNNAAAAAAALLLLLIIIIIISSSSSEEEEEEEE!_"

Ellie pushed the door open, and Ana stuck her head out, dark hair swinging, "Alex! What in the world is _wrong_?"

She stomped through the grass, shoulders tight with anger, "They _suspended_ Jaime for three days for _cheating_!"

Had Ellie not caught the bowl in her mentor's hands, it would have shattered again the desk. Ana stared at the girl, "_What_?"

"_Ms. Danes_," Jaime had never heard so much contempt in a name before, "said some kid named _Jimmy—I hate that name—_said Jaime was cheating off him! He got a zero and was _suspended_! We don't even remember this kid!"

Ana scoffed, shaking her head as she took the bowl and looked at Jaime sympathetically, "I _know_ that's not true. Come here, sweetie. Sit down and calm down a little."

Jaime shook the paper dismally, dark eyes wet, "But _Dad—!_"

"_Will know you did no such thing_!" Ana and Alex both stressed, ushering him in the house. He was pushed onto the couch, forced to accept an apple and a glass of water, and both women starred at him until he took a drink and bite, respectively. Finally, they dispersed, though Ellie joined him, pouting with sympathy as she petted his hair. He smiled dispute himself.

Del's massive form filled the door a second later, still in his uniform, and he shook his head, "You would not _believe_ what just happened..."

Ana turned to him after setting the timer on the stove, cocking her head to the side, "What's up?"

"Someone breaks in the Angel Grove First National Bank," He said, shrugging, "simple enough, right? No one sees the perp, they get out with _thousands_ of dollars. We dust for prints, _actually_ get some, and who do they belong to? _Bishop Smith_, the one that runs the _Catholic Church_ in town."

Ana blinked, "Okay? That's weird, but bishops and priests do _questionable_ stuff all the time..."

"That's what I said," Del said smugly, "but he's _ninety and wheelchair bound_. Can't lift a _feather_, much less pull open a safe door."

"Wow...okay," Ana blinked again, then nodded at Jaime, "We have our own little crisis here..."

Del cocked his head silently, following her gaze to Jaime, who looked up at him like a kicked puppy. Del frowned, pulling a chair up to sit in front of him, choice quiet and soothing, "What's wrong?"

"They suspended him _supposed_ cheating," Ellie said simply, and Del snorted, instantly replying, "They're _wrong_ then. That's the most absurd thing I've ever heard."

Jaime laughed weakly, throwing his hands up abortively, and Alex snarled from somewhere behind them, "I'm gonna _kill_ that kid."

Del turned, "What kid?"

"_Jimmy_," Jaime stood corrected; _more_ contempt in that name, "some stupid little _bastard_ I've never heard of. And no one _else_ will, _either_, 'cause I'm gonna _end his family line—_"

There was the quiet roar of an engine outside, and Alex's eyes shot wide, "Oh _shit_."

Del made a face of confusion, then he stood up, "Oh, damn, that's Dinah."

Ana snickered from the stove, "She won't be_ happy_."

"That's not _funny_," Del hissed, and Ana grinned unrepentantly, "Nope, it's hilarious. She's gonna march _right_ up to Veronica's door, and that's what needs to happen. She's a smear on the name of educational professionals _everywhere_."

Del took long strides for the door, but Dinah beat him, tugging her helmet off as she stepped through the door. It took her approximately three seconds to zero in on Jaime's distress, and she shoved her helmet into Del's arms, running her fingers through her dark blonde hair as she made for him, "What's wrong?"

"What happened to your _hair_?" Del asked in awe, and she three her response over her shoulder, "I got tired of dying it. _What's wrong_?"

"I got suspended for _cheating!_" Jaime wailed, unable to restrain his tears. Ana slapped a hand over her mouth; shed surely _die_ if they thought she was laughing at _him_, and not how Alex and Dinah bristled at the same moment, shooting to fill the spaces on either side of him. Ellie meeped, diving out on the way and onto Del's lap. He caught her easily, speechless between Jaime's tears and the uncommon nurturing of the two women. Ellie didn't move, apparently equally transfixed.

"I _s-swear_ I didn't!" Jaime sobbed, scrubbing at his nose and tears, trying to stop, "_I'd never_ do that! I s-s-swear I w-w-wouldn't!"

"We know that, Jaime," Alex said tenderly, her forehead pressed to his temple, "no one here believe that, and I think you _know_ that. Don't cry."

"You're the most honest person most of us know," Dinah said soothingly, smoothing a hand over his hair, "one of them, anyway. We would _never _believe this. _Never_. We'll fix it, I _promise_."

Jaime nodded, accepting the box of tissues Del and Ellie jointly handed over, scrubbing his face as he laughed hysterically, "I'm being so _stupid_!"

"You _aren't_ the one being _stupid_," Alex growled, and Dinah stood, marching back for the door. Del stood abruptly, upending Ellie _back_ onto the couch, and stuck his arm in front of the door, "Where are you going?"

Dinah yanked her chin up defiantly, smiling with false sweetness, "You _know_ where I'm going."

"Oh, let her _go_," Ana waved it off, "Veronica _deserves_ what's coming for her. It's fine."

Dinah ducked under Del's arm, snatching her helmet back as she tossed her hand up in the air as she declared, "Mom said it's okay! I'm gonna make her regret this!"

She got on her bike and headed north, and Ana made a face as her jaw dropped, "She's _not_...oh my god. She _is!_"

Del looked dismally at his fellow mentor, sighing dejectedly, "I thought she was going to this Veronica woman's house?"

"She lives to the _south_, in Angel Grove Heights," Ana cackled evilly, rolling her eyes innocently as she whispered, "See, Veronica and _Adam_ have a bit of..._parado_xical_ history_, you might call it..."

"God help us if she ever decides to switch sides," Del bemoaned, shaking his head as he retreated into the house.

Jaime sulked through the front door, trying harder than ever to be as quiet as physically possible. But all his siblings were otherwise occupied; he could hear points of noise all throughout the house.

He didn't count on his mother, still in the kitchen at the stove, with Lacey on her hip. She didn't even look up from her task, "Hey, baby. Can you take her while I finish up? Dinner for tomorrow, since your dad has a tournament to go to."

Jaime silently traded his suspension slip for his sister, and waited for the fallout.

His mother's dark eyes scanned the paper as she stirred the contents of the pan, her brows slowly rising. Her answer was to slide the pan aside, and use the flame from the eye to light the slip on fire. She dropped the burning paper into the sink, turning to replace the pan, "Jaime, _relax_. This is_beyond_ ludicrous. Honestly, I think you should use it as a _vacation_, because tomorrow, I'm going to go get your homework and set this all straight. I know you, baby. I'd _never_ believe this."

Jaime could've wept, but his anxiety returned when his father entered the kitchen with a grin, "Hey, Kid."

"Jaime got suspended for _cheating_," Sarah snorted, to which Adam answered, "Yeah, I know."

Sarah whirled, eyeing her husband dangerously, "You _knew_?"

"Yeah," Adam nodded carefully, realizing he was in a spot, "Di—_Miss Wilde_ told me. She's the...librarian?"

"The librarian?" Sarah asked suspicious, "The librarian told you? Why would she know?"

"She helps run the after school program, with my biology teacher, Miss Rivers, and Mister...Calhoun?"

"_Calhoun_?" Sarah snorted a laugh, "What kind of last name is _that_?"

"He's a _cop_," Adam said sternly, "he'll arrest you for making fun of his name."

"He's too nice for that," Jaime laughed, nerves soothed. Lacey laughed, clapping delightedly. Adam and Sarah grinned, and Adam put his hands on his eldest son's shoulders, "_Jaime_, we know you'd never do this. So no worries. You're a good kid, a good person. We trust you, and you can trust that we'll take care of this, okay?"

Jaime nodded, and Adam wrapped both his eldest and youngest children in a hug, and Jaime finally let all his worries go.

"_This is Cassidy Del Valle, filling in for Harvey Garvey, and this is the Stone Canyon Daily News."_

The blonde reporter paused, supposedly for dramatic effect, and Jaime stalled his channel surfing for a moment. He wasn't used to being home in the middle of the day in the middle of the week, and all he could think to do was see what was on TV. But that was neither here nor there, as she continued with her story.

"_Yesterday, all local news stations reported on the string of bank thefts that have occurred recently in the greater coastal area. Angel Grove First National, Stone Canyon United, and the Reefside branch BB&amp;T have all been victimized, along with a few smaller, independent establishments, listed on the scroll at the bottom of the screen. Banks are urging their patrons not to worry, as they have all increased their security."_

The reporter's lips twitched, wanting to break out into a grin, and that was how Jaime knew whatever she was about to say would be _interesting_.

"_Fingerprints left behind at each crime scene have led investigators to some interesting suspects. These suspects include Father Donald Smith, and elderly, wheelchair-bound Catholic priest; Beverly Sands, a blind woman; Lacey Park, a toddler. Other suspects have likewise been dismissed, all their ages and ailments make such a crime impossible."_

Jaime leapt up from the couch. Framing adults were one thing, but a _toddler_? And his _sister_, no less! His parents hadn't mentioned it, so the authorities must've let it go when they realized his sister's age.

"_This thief has some skills and delicate equipment, but official would like the public to know they are spending all available resources to solve these crimes. Thanks for tuning in. I'm Cassidy Del Valle, filling in for Harvey Garvey, and you've just been updated."_

The screen quickly changed to the weather, but Jaime tuned it out. He had a bad feeling about this, and took a seat on the edge of the couch. It was only nine in the morning. His family wouldn't be home for _hours_, and the neither would his friends. The silence of his empty childhood home yawned around him, and he got a crazy idea more suited to Alex than his usual self.

But desperate times called for desperate measures.

He quickly pulled up a map on his computer, and made note of all the banks in the area. He likewise pulled up the news story, and compared the names, marking the location off on the map. Only one hadn't successfully been burglarized, and Jaime wrote down the address.

It was only a couple miles away, he could get there and back before anyone noticed he was gone.

What could it hurt?

It could hurt a _lot_, it turned off.

As soon as he got there, he knew something was amiss. The employees didn't seem to notice him, and everyone ambled around as if in a daze. That could easily explain _why_ there were no actual witnesses, despite such crime occurring in plain daylight.

One person in particular caught his attention quickly. He was plain, with mousy hair and unremarkable features, but he moved quickly, actions short and to the point. He rounded the desk, grinning at the key he clutched in his hand, and jogged up the carpeted stairs leading to the second floor.

Jaime abandoned his bag and silently shot after him, keeping low.

The man approached the closest safe, and his body stretched and squeezed and re-morphed into a huge sheet of notebook paper. Jaime swung back around the corner, flattening himself against the wall.

He had accidentally just tracked down a monster.

He glanced around the corner again, making sure the creature was occupied, and then retreated a bit back from whence he came, tapping his communicator.

"Alex, I have a problem."

Alex's wrist beeped, and she slapped her hand over it, blinking owlishly around the room.

Thankfully, it was study hall, and everyone else was too busy with their own thing to pay her any mind.

Ian's head, however, popped up instantly, eyes wide. Their gazes locked, and Ian was out of his seat before Alex could ask. She followed.

Mr. Davis snoozed at his desk, drooling on what appeared to be an old yearbook, with _Richie_ written on the front with a big, pink heart around it. They slipped out the door.

In the empty hall, Jaime's voice rang out again, "_Did you hear me, Alex? I have a _big problem_."_

"Where the hell are you?" Alex asked, looking at Ian, who shrugged unhelpfully. She rolled her eyes, and her best friend spoke again, "_Appleby Memorial Bank_."

Alex's brows knitted together, "What? Why?"

"_Not important!" _Jaime argued impatiently, "_I'm like four feet from a monster. Some help, _any_ help would be great. Fast as possible, preferably, since it's breaking into a bank."_

"You found the robber," Alex said in awe, and Ian whooped, "_Go Jaime!_"

"_I'm gonna stall it," _Jaime declared resolutely, "_get here before I die, please_."

The communicator buzzed, then the line went dead. Alex bolted down the hall and Ian scrambled to follow. She skidded to a stop at the crossroads of hallways, and after a moment of deliberation, pointed to the left, "Go to the gym, get Logan _however_ you have to! I'm gonna go to Ana's and get Ellie. We'll get Spike on the way out. _Go go go_!"

Ian did, taking off. It didn't take long for his long strides to lead him the gymnasium, where he stood at the door, waving his arms around wildly until his best friend gave up on the basketball game and jogged over to the door, sticking his head out, "What? What's wrong?"

"Jaime," Ian panted, "he found the robber. It's a _monster_."

Logan didn't need to hear more; he grabbed Ian's arm and all but drug him down the hallway.

Alex slammed her fist repeatedly against the door of Ana's classroom, pounding until the woman arrived at the barrier. Upon seeing the girl's panicked face, she quickly stepped out the door, searching her face, "What's wrong?"

"Jaime found a monster," Alex wheezed, "at the bank. He's stalling it. _Alone. _We have to go _now_."

Ana's eyes shot wide, and she nodded, disappearing back into the classroom for a split second, Ellie stepping out just a moment later. The blonde cocked her head, "What's up?"

"Jaime, monster, leaving _now_," Alex said as she yanked the girl down the hallway. Ellie followed quickly behind, and Ana stuck her head out the door, hissing, "_Be careful!"_

The door flew open, and Dinah looked up from the papers on her desk. Alex, Logan, Ellie, and Ian filled the doorway to the mostly empty library, and Alex jabbed a finger at the other lone occupant, "You, _now_."

Spike meeped, and Dinah grinned, cheek resting on her hand, "Monster?"

"What else?" Alex rolled her eyes. "Jaime stumbled upon it. We're off to rescue his ass."

"Whoop some monster ass for those of us left behind with the boring desk job," Dinah chuckled. Alex nodded, "Will do. Be back as soon as we can."

They vanished, and Dinah watched the door swing thoughtfully.

Jaime took a deep breathe, then stepped out from around the corner, immediately taking a fighter's stance, "_Stop_."

The piece of paper did, wobbling unsurely as it turned. It's eyes were large, red, upside down A's, giving it an odd, almost emoticon-sort of look. It's mouth was a large red, horizontal D, bigger and redder than it's eyes. It began to laugh, "If it's not my little _friend_..."

Jaime was confused, but fought not to let it show. The monster cackled again, "Let me take a more familiar form..."

His body stretched again, reforming into an unremarkable teenager, and when Jaime still didn't seem to realize it, the kid's nasally voice answered, "I'm _Jimmy_."

_That_ certainly jogged his memory. Jaime's muscles tensed, and the monster quickly reformed into it's typical form. The piece of paper wiggled as it laughed, "I'm A Frame! My mistress said the easiest way to take you out would be one by one, and I figured why not start with the _goody two shoes_?"

Jaime frowned, self-conscious and angry at the same time. Was he really that bad?

"Even now, you gotta be _perfect_!" A Frame cackled, shaking violently, and Jaime faltered a bit, his resolve shaking. The monster continued to insult him, but Jaime suddenly recalled his mother and father's words.

_I know you baby. I'd never believe this._

_You're a good kid, a good person_.

"Why don't you stop talking and come at me?" Jaime asked with a slightly growl, dropping into his stance. The monster silenced immediately, mouth open, and then grumbled itself, "Be careful what you ask for!"

It threw something, and Jaime back flipped out of the line of fire. The projectiles appeared to be small, green erasers, but when they hit the floor, it began to dissolve and disintegrate beneath them. _Acidic_ erasers. He made a mental note not to allow one to touch his bare skin.

The monster continued to throw them wildly, not even seeming to be trying to aim, but only to scare him off. At the safe, a team of four nippies struggled with to get the door open, and Jaime realized that scaring him off was _exactly_ A Frame's plan.

Aware that he was penned and out-numbered, Jaime temporarily retreated down the stairs and into the lobby, where the people swayed like zombies. He ran out the front door just as a green Mustang fishtailed to a stop, and his friends piled out.

Alex ran up to him, holding out a fist with a grin, "Good going, Jay. What're we dealing with?"

Jaime bumped his fist against hers with a small smile, "A Frame. There's four nippies, too, but the only problem is they're almost into the safe, and the lobby's full of people."

Alex nodded, "We can deal with that."

She headed into the building at a swift walk, and Logan and Ian clapped him on the shoulders with massive grins and congratulations. Ellie pressed a kiss to his cheek with a giggle before following Logan, and Spike smiled, offering a fist bump as well. Confidence renewed, Jaime followed them inside...

Just as A Frame came flying over the upstairs banister with a screech. The nippies fled down the stairs and out the door as Alex leaned over the railing with a maniacal grin, "Halfway there!"

Sensing it was in trouble, the monster shot out the door, and everyone followed, quickly darting through them all to cut off their escape. A Frame and the nippies turned, ready to go back into the bank, but Alex cracked her knuckles in the doorway, smirking, "I'd _seriously_ rethink that if I were you."

"And just what are _you_ little brats gonna do about it?" A Frame sneered, noodley arms on its side. The nippies mirrored its posed, and Logan rolled his neck, "Can we cut this short? I'm already tired of this shit."

"My sentiments _exactly_," Ian agreed, playfully boxing the air in front of him.

Alex leaned around so Jaime could see her and smiled, "This is your thing, Jay. You call it."

Jaime stared back, but nodded resolutely, and put his hand on his morpher, "_Vendian Gift, Primal Assist_!"

It was still, as only the second time in their suits, kind of surreal to feel the power coursing through them. Ellie was, surprisingly, the first one off, doing a number of cartwheels and flips to plant her feet on the left most Nippy, sending it to the ground with a crackling thud.

That made it a free for all.

Spike blocked the next Nippy's punches with surprising deftness, but when one thrown punch got too close to his face, he struck out, his open palm strike shattering the minion's chest. Alex leapt in the air, locking her knees around the next Nippy's neck, using her momentum to throw it to the side, where it shattered on the concrete. Logan grabbed one and threw it up in the air, using as a punching bag, cracks splintering across the surface of it's icy body. Ian dodged a few poorly thrown punches and finally caught its wrist, using its own hand to punch it in the face, all the while chanting, "Why you hittin' yourself? Why you hittin' yourself?"

That only left A Frame itself, and it was smart enough to know when it was out numbered and out gunned. It held up its comically large claws, in the shape of C's, and spoke nervously, "Okay, kiddos, let's _talk_ about this..."

"Let's _not_," Jaime snapped behind his black helmet, his darkened visor, "it was _enough_ when you were trying to frame _me,_ but _innocent civilians_? _My little sister_? You've gone too far."

Alex appeared helpfully at his side, musing, "Think the little _energy blast_ from the Primal Blasters is enough to send this fool up in flames?"

"Let's see..." Jaime agreed, withdrawing his blaster. He aimed carefully, centering on the creature's face, "It's over, A Frame. You won't hurt anyone else."

He pulled the trigger, and the energy blaster hit head on. Whilst going up in flames, A Frame screeched, "_I won't be the last_!"

Tiny ashes fluttered up into the air, scattering to the four winds as Jaime holstered the blaster, and they all demorphed. Alex clapped her best friend's shoulder, grinning, "Great job, Jay. But let's get home. I hear your mom talked to Principal Johnson today."

"_Officials are happy to report that, while they haven't caught the perpetrator, all of the stolen funds from the numerous bank heists have been returned to their respective establishments_," Harvey Garvey grinned happily on the screen of channel five news. Del shushed the kids, turning the volume up on the TV as they all focused on the appliance.

"_And who do we have to thank?" _The older man asked cheekily, quickly answering, _"The Power Rangers! Rumors have abounded lately about the return of the secret superheroes to our lovely shores, but there's been no evidence—until now! A bystander caught these heroes thwarting the last robbery, and though there is no evidence, it can be assumed that the thief was the monster they deftly dispatched! Some of you out there may remember an interview I did many, many moons ago with the original team of rainbow wonders, and likewise, we may not know their identities, but I know I feel a great deal safer knowing they're back home, where they belong! This has been Harvey Garvey with Channel Five News at Five, and you've been updated!"_

Del muted the TV, grinning as he squeezed the back of Jaime's neck, "Good job, Kid."

Jaime flushed a bright pink, clearly pleased, and Ellie collapsed playfully across his lap, "Oh my, what a strong young man! I think I might _swoon_!"

Jaime grumbled, shoving Ellie off onto Logan as he crossed his arms, pale face now red as tomato, "Okay, okay, enough. Stop making a big deal out of it."

"But who knows how many people would've lost their entire life savings if not for you?" Ana smiled from the opposing couch, sandwiched on the far end as Ian and Spike fought on their hand held games. Cain kept silent in the recliner, and Alex grinned, leaning her head back from her spot on the floor as she elbowed his leg gently, "Come on, dude! You _saved the day_! Revel in it, don't be embarrassed."

"Yeah," Dinah agreed, pressing a kiss to his temple, "you did a _good thing_. A lot of people have you to thank, even if they don't know it. And one monster down is another blow to Wintressa."

"The journey of a thousand miles starts with one step," Del smiled, and Dinah snorted, reaching over to pat his belly with a smirk, "Way to go, Buddha."

He frowned at her, "Really? Really? Was that entirely necessary?"

She and Ana busted out laughing at the same time, and she slumped over, slithering down the back of the couch to the floor in hysterics. Ana squealed, pointing at Cain, "Even _he_ smiled! Totally worth it!"

Cain scowled at her viciously, and they all started laughing.


	21. Episode XX Winter Winds

**Episode XX**

**Winter Winds**

Her phone buzzed once, but Alex rolled over and ignored it. It was Saturday, she didn't have anywhere to be, and she'd be damned if she would get up this early.

But it buzzed again, and again, and again, for a grand total of 17 times. It finally stopped, but it wasn't a complete thirty seconds before her phone began to buzz again, in the carefully spaced rhythm that signaled a phone call.

She rolled over with a drawn out groan, grabbing for the device. She smacked the screen, grumbling, "_What_?"

"_You're still in bed_," Jaime drawled with realization, and Alex huffed, "_Yes_, because it's the first Saturday in a _bazillion years_ that I haven't had to do something, or we haven't had to _save the world_. So _yes_, Jaime, dammit, I'm still in bed!"

"_I wouldn't be so sure about the saving the world part_," Jaime sighed, and Alex smacked her forehead, "Fuck me."

"_I'd rather not_," Jaime replied dryly, "_but you should look outside. Oh, and I'd grab some warmer clothes, too_."

"Why in the hell do I need warmer clothes?" Alex asked as she flung her covers back, but quickly discovered what he meant. The normally warm, balmy nights and early mornings were instead very chilly. She swore loudly, diving toward her closet as she quickly changed into sweatpants and a jacket. She collected her phone from where it had fallen to the floor in her scramble, "What in the holy hell? Did another _ice age_ happen or something?!"

"_Have you looked outside yet_?" Jaime asked insistently, so Alex pulled her curtains aside, and gasped in awe.

Snow fluttered lightly to the ground, melting upon contact.

"Holy shit..." She breathed, and Jaime spoke, "_Wanna pick me up on your way to the big house_?"

"Be there in ten."

When Alex parked her car, she could see Ellie cartwheeling and flipping about in the space just outside the front door. Her face was filled with glee, and she flailed wildly as they approached, "Allleeeex, Jaaaaaiiimeeee, loooook!"

"We see, Ellie," Jaime smiled with exasperation, and Alex rolled her eyes. She saw Spike next, as he exited the house, his face a picture of innocent awe. She smiled slightly, at least until Ana sighed, "This can't mean anything good..."

"Maybe it's just a cold front," Del shrugged, ever the optimist. He leaned against one of the columns, and Ana shot him a look. She scoffed, "I love it, I do, but when is it _ever_ just a cold snap?

He shrugged, and Alex stopped at the bottom of the steps, "Do we have any clue what's going on?"

"Well, we're in California, and it's snowing," Ana said slowly, "so we know something's up."

Alex crossed her arms with a scowl, "Do we know anything _else_?"

"Nope, that's it," Ana grinned, and Alex smacked her forehead for the second time in less than an hour. Del nodded at the door, "Cain's downstairs, trying to figure it out."

"Glad someone's doing something," Alex huffed, heading inside. Jaime, Ana, and Del followed, leaving Ellie and Spike to enjoy the strange weather patterns.

In the living room, Logan and Ian pouted, and Alex paused, "What happened to you two?"

"I thought you were helping downstairs?" Ana narrowed her dark eyes, hands on her hips, and Ian jumped up, instantly on the defensive, "We _were_! Then we got kicked out!"

"Why?" Ana scolded. "What did you do?"

Logan flushed a red nearly as bright as his sweatshirt, "We almost knocked the computer over..."

"Doing _what_?" Ana demanded, her tone of finality warning them that they had one last chance. Ian deflated, sitting back down, and Logan mumbled, "Wrestling..."

"And there you have it," Ana sighed, squeezing the bridge of her nose. She shook her head, pointing at them, "Do you two have _any _idea how _expensive and delicate_ those computers are? How_ hard_ they are to replace?! Seriously, boys, you should know better! You do know better!"

"I'll leave them to all that excitement..." Alex muttered, edging out of the room; Del and Jaime eagerly followed.

The light from the monitors spilled light through the otherwise dark room. Machines whirred, and two keyboards clicked in tandem. Cain was on the left bank with the bulk of the monitors, while Dinah sat on the right, with fewer screens.

As the trio descended the stairs, Dinah called out, "Any luck narrowing the power signature down?"

Cain shook his head, "Not yet. It's narrowed down to the state, but I already knew that. The weather, however, seems to be centralized here, in a three mile radius around Angel Grove, so it's likely the owner of the signature is in that vicinity."

Dinah nodded, pushing her chair to his side, "Good work. With any luck, we'll be able to see them coming."

He nodded his agreement, and Alex asked, "So the snow's only here?"

"Seems like," Her mentor agreed, spinning the chair with a slight smile, "Morning, kid. Enjoying the weather?"

"Do I _look_ like I'm enjoying the weather?" Alex snapped, and Dinah reached out the squeeze her arm, "_Relax_. No point in getting riled before we're even sure what we're dealing with."

"Rich, coming from you," Del muttered, and Dinah bounced a pen cap off his forehead, "No one asked you."

"But this is an attack?" Jaime asked, all concern. "We're sure?"

"It's likely, but we're not sure of anything yet," Dinah said, pointing to Cain, "but you'd have to ask him. I'm just an extra set of eyes."

"It's _snow_," Cain snorted. "Can you tell me of another, current _idiot_ with designs to take over the planet that can control ice beyond Wintressa? It's _California_. It does not snow. Is it a true attack, or a warning? I'm trying to figure that out, but I keep getting _bothered_."

Dinah rolled her eyes as Jaime blinked. Del shook his head, "Why _warn_ us, though? We obviously know something's up, so she gave up the element of surprise."

"Arrogance, maybe," Dinah mused, "or for her own personal amusement. She's a crazy, non-human villain; I'm not sure our concept of logic is the same as hers."

Ana jogged down the stairs, Ellie, Spike, Logan, and Ian just behind her. When they reached the floor, Logan, Ian and Spike stayed well away from the computers, but Ellie and Ana came closer. A few seconds later, Cain growled triumphantly, "_Yes_."

"I take you found what you were looking for?" Ana said, amused, and Dinah grinned, "He found the power spike."

"Angel Grove park, eastern section," Cain rattled off, "and I've sent the precise coordinates to your communicators. I'll send anymore information I glean as I get it."

"Are we heading out?" Alex asked, looking around, and Ana nodded, "Better go. You can check out everything, make a plan."

"_Be careful_," Del added, "and if you need help, don't hesitate to call."

"Give 'em hell, kid," Dinah smirked. "Show them we don't back down."

The six teens nodded, and headed back up the stairs.

She hadn't noticed it before, but now, standing beneath it, Alex saw how truly dark the sky actually was. It wasn't the soft, plush gray that usually foretold snow, but something much darker, less benign.

The park here was empty, too far east to be of much interest to most people. There were no playgrounds or picnic shelters, and the lake didn't even reach this far inland. Small mercies.

She could see the surface of the far off lake moving with each gentle gust, the depths murky for lack of sunshine. Jaime stepped up beside her, staring out over the body of water, and echoed her thoughts, "We're lucky no one comes out this far."

Alex nodded, looking at her other comrades. Ellie had resumed her gymnastics, and, for once, Logan and Spike sat near one another without bickering. Alex snorted, jabbing a finger at them, "Forget snow in California. _That's_ the strangest thing I've seen all day."

Jaime grinned, and Ian took up Logan's other side of the boulder, speaking quietly. Spike leaned his head back and closed his eyes, the snowflakes melting moments after touching his pale-skinned face.

All was quiet, until their communicators made their trademark sound, and then everyone jumped to attention.

"_I narrowed down the energy signature," _Cain said quickly, "_and it's headed toward you. __**Fast**__._"

"_It's not Wintressa, though_," Ana cut in, and Dinah spoke next, "_It had a strange quality to it, so __**watch out**_."

"_Be careful_," Del demanded, once again, "_if you need us, __**call us**_."

"Got it," Alex nodded, and Jaime inquired, "Can you see us?"

"_Satellite feed is locked in_," Cain replied. "_I'll get everything I can, and see what we can learn from it_."

"Okay," Jaime nodded, taking a deep breath, and their mysterious visitor touched down behind them in a cloud of snowflakes and ice crystals.

"I had to see for myself," Their masked intruder drawled, "who it was thwarting my mistress at every turn. I'm rather unimpressed."

Right off, they could tell it was a female. Her voice was clear and bell-like, unaffected by her blank-faced mask, and even her snow white cloak couldn't hide the curves beneath it. Beyond that, she was a mystery.

"Who the hell are you?" Alex demanded, taking a step forward. She couldn't see her face, but somehow knew she was smirking, "Aren't you spunky? It's of no importance who I am."

"You _scared_?" Ian jeered smirking toothily. Logan mimicked his friend, "Afraid we'll be able to track you?"

"Provided you _could_ track me," The woman in white replied coolly, "you couldn't defeat me. I am beyond your _comprehension_ of power. You're little more than _toddlers_ in a _playpen_ to me."

"I'll show you a _toddler_!" Ellie huffed, puffing out her cheeks and chest, but Spike reached out and yanked her back, struggling to restrain her. The boy in blue looked rather nervous. Jaime took up Alex's left side, "Then why do this? If you were going to kill us, you would have by now. What's the point?"

"How clever you are," She purred, tapping her toes against the ground. She waved her hand, and a staff appeared. The handle was unremarkable, glistening silver, but the top was unique; it was a thorny crescent of black iron, cradling a faceted, blood red gem. Spike squinted at it; for some reason, it seemed vaguely familiar.

"Perhaps there is no harm..." The woman in white mused, then leaned against her staff. "I will tell you my name, as it makes no difference. Perhaps our next encounter will be more _interesting_. My mistress calls me Kalina."

"_Kalina_..." Ian muttered, the strange name tumbling off his tongue.

"Though rest assured," Kalina spoke, "our next meeting will not be so benign, and it will also be our last. Until then."

And, just as she appeared, Kalina vanished in a shower of snow.

"The power signature is unusual," Cain mused, comparing the newest chart to those of the monsters that had come before, "but I can't figure out _why_. It appears..._steadier_, than the others, but I can't determine a _reason_."

Ana could see Cain's mounting frustration, and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Maybe you should take a break, come back to it tomorrow..."

Irritated, Cain shoved away from the desk, stalking up the stairs. Moments later, the rangers returned to the basement. Ana looked them over, running a hand over Ellie and Spike's heads, "Everyone okay?"

"She didn't touch us," Logan shrugged, confused, and Ian scowled, "But she said she'd get us next time."

"So she lured you out to _talk_?" Del asked incredulously. Alex nodded, face a scowl of concern and irritation, and Jaime sighed, "We didn't really find out anything, though."

"Nothing at all?" Ana questioned, and Spike nodded, "Well, uh, she did tell us her name."

"Yeah!" Ellie chirped, "She said her name was Kalina."

"Not that that does us any good," Alex growled, but Dinah disagreed, "Not necessarily. There's power in a name, after all. If it's true. I'll look into it, see what I can find."

"No one was hurt," Del smiled, "so I call it a win."

"Very true," Ana grinned, "let's go upstairs, take a breath. We won this one."

Leading the march, Ana started up the stairs, Spike and Ellie just behind, and Logan and Ian behind them. Jaime stalled halfway up the stairs, and Del hadn't left the landing. Dinah leaned back in her chair as Alex scowled.

"I don't _want_ to celebrate," She grumbled resolutely, "something about this _isn't right_."

"We'll be up later," Dinah called to Jaime and Del.

"Suit yourselves," Del sighed, ushering his pupil up the stairs.

Dinah shoved a chair at Alex, "Have a seat. We'll see what we can find."


	22. Episode XXI Armament of the Guard

**A.N. CheshireGrinn (aka MurkyCat)**** here with the next chapter! It's a personal favorite: weapons! Because what's a good Ranger without their own unique weapon? Enjoy, and thanks for looking!**

* * *

**Episode XXI**

**Armament of the Guard**

Cain exited the basement, wiping his hands on a rag before rolling his sleeves down and buttoning them at his wrists. He found Ana in the dining room, balancing her checkbook in between grading papers. He leaned against the door frame, studying her.

She had no clue he was there, and that gave him the thrill of power it always did. Predator and prey. He could do what he wanted, there there wasn't much anyone could do to stop him...not that she'd take much convincing.

But they had priorities, and perhaps if he could distract everyone else, they could find a moment somewhere later.

"Where's Dinah?" He asked suddenly, and Ana's head snapped up. She had launched a stack of papers in her surprise, and they fluttered to the ground around her as she stared at him with big doe eyes. He smirked, and she glared, jerking her thumb over her shoulder, "Outside, training with Del."

He smirked wider as she got on the floor to collect the papers, crawling around on hands and knees to find them all. He walked to the front doors, slipping out, but not before saying, "You look good like that."

She gaped at his retreating form, her face turning red.

**o.O.o**

"How is this training?" Dinah protested, palms flat against Del's, arms locked as he held her in a handstand midair. He looked up at her frowning face, squinting against the sunlight, "Trust exercise, strength training, endurance training...it's training."

"Not the training I called you for," She grumbled, and he bit the inside of his cheek, forever thankful the glare of the sun hid the pinkness in his cheeks. He sighed, letting his head fall to his chest, "I told you, I don't want to hit you."

"And I told you," She huffed, "that it's not hitting me, it's helping me. Alex is great, she keeps me on my toes, but she's my size; I know what she'll do, how she'll do it. You're...big. Strong. You are what I'll be fighting, what will challenge me. I need that challenge to keep everyone safe."

He chewed on her words, feeling foolish for his hurt. She was referring to monsters, inadvertently comparing him to the monsters. But then she snorted, rolling her eyes, "Not you . That I'll be fighting, I mean. Things your size. Poor wording, sorry. I'd never fight you."

He ducked his head, grinning shyly despite himself. But she protested again, " Ugh , can I come down? All the blood's rushing to my head."

"Sure," He smiled easily, "bend your legs, and sit on my shoulders. I'm not gonna drop you if the blood's rushing to your head."

"Good point," She conceded, folding at the waist, carefully settling her weight on his shoulders before letting go. They wobbled, so he steadied her, large hands on her thighs as she shaded her eyes, whistling, "Whoa! You can see the entire grounds from here!"

He chuckled, looking up at her surprised expression. There were some things he'd surely never get used to, and one of them was how such a battle-hardened warrior could display such childlike wonder.

She was busy studying things she hadn't seen or paid attention to before, but he saw Cain's small form standing on the porch. He told her as much, "Cain's outside."

"Who cares?" She replied, uninterested.

**o.O.o**

"She's distracted," Ana said, crossing her arms as she joined him, "and she won't pay attention until you get her attention."

"I'm not flailing around like some moron," He scoffed irritably, "and I'm not shouting, either. Tell her the weapons are done."

"Oh my God," Ana huffed, rolling her eyes as she cupped a hand around her mouth, waving the other, "They're done!"

**o.O.o**

"Ana's trying to get your attention," Del said, and Dinah squinted at the house, "Did she say gum?"

"Couldn't hear her," He shrugged, lifting her slightly. She shouted back, "What about gum?"

**o.O.o**

"Gum?" Ana asked incredulously. "How did she get gum out of that?"

"Could've been worse," Cain shrugged, smirking, and Ana glared at him before shouting, "I said they are done!"

She waited a moment, then heard her friend reply, " Why are you numb ?!"

"Mercy," Ana sighed, rubbing her face before screaming, "**The weapons are finished****!"**

"Why would mittens be Finnish?" Dinah questioned, confused and bewildered, and Del laughed, "She said something was finished, not Finnish."

"Oh," Dinah said slowly, then realized what they had been shouting about. The weapons. They were done. She gasped in excitement, clapping her hands as she leaned back, before throwing her hands in the air.

Unprepared for the change in the distribution of weight, Del wobbled. She flailed, trying to keep balanced but achieving the complete opposite, and suddenly knew there was no saving it. He leaned just a bit too far back, and she extended her arms, launching off him mid-fall, and placed her palms on the ground, flipping herself onto her hands and knees. When she looked up, Del lay on his back, groaning. She scrambled to his side, "Oh, shit . Are you okay?"

He nodded slowly, coughing, "Yeah...I'll live...just winded."

She grimaced, "I really am sorry. Really sorry. Like , a lot— "

"I'm sure," He smiled painfully, the gesture looking more like a grimace, "I'm fine. Go look at your weapons."

"You're sure?" She asked slowly, trying not to look as excited as she felt. Before he could speak, she stood up, holding her hands out, "Let me help you up at least. Since I threw you down."

He smirked playfully, "That is the least you could do."

**o.O.o**

Dinah shot down the stairs, skipping half of them, while Cain followed with a smug smirk. Ana followed Del's limping form, afraid he'd fall and unsure of what she'd do if he did; he was a big man.

All six weapons lay on the table, glinting and gleaming in the work light over them. Dinah ran tender fingers over each lethal edge and flawless weld, amazed.

"Jesus, Cain," She murmured reverently, "they're beautiful. Better than I imagined. You did an amazing job."

Surprised at the honest praise, he blinked at her and grudgingly crossed his arms, admitting, "Your schematics were well done, well thought out. There wasn't much I had to do to make them functional."

"I actually learned a thing or two abroad, believe it or not," She grinned, then looked up, "So they're good to go?"

Cain nodded, and Ana eyed the large, blue and silver hammer, "I hope that's sturdy."

"Not even that walking disaster can break it," Cain replied confidently, and Del smiled, "I''ll go call the kids."

He wobbled unsurely, and Ana slid past him, holding him still with a hand, "Let me."

**o.O.o**

They came rushing down the stairs, sounding like a herd of elephants. Spike, at the back of the pack, smashed into Ian, who flew forward and hit Logan. Logan bumped into Ellie, but it was only thanks to Alex and Jaime's quick thinking and planted feet that they avoided slicing themselves to pieces on the table full of weapons; they all looked drily at Spike, who grinned sheepishly.

When they had righted themselves, the spread out, standing before their conveniently color-coded weapons with awe just as Dinah had done before them. She stood on the opposing side of the table, grinning, "Glad I wasn't the only one left speechless. Beautiful, aren't they?"

"That's stranger for some than others..." Alex muttered without any of her usual heat, gray eyes looking over her shining gauntlets. The plates of metal were a deep green, the color of a dark forest, overlaid on one another to become and impenetrable wall of steel. The plates grew smaller to accommodate the length of fingers, each knuckle having a razor sharp, tiny blade built into the plate. She just knew they'd fit like a glove.

"Toho Kachina," Dinah told her, and the name settled in her soul, a piece she hadn't know was missing, "the hunter spirit of the Hopi and Zuni tribes. Strong, and wild. Stubborn, too."

Alex ignored the playful barb, sliding the gauntlets on, flexing her fingers and sighing at the heavy, comforting weight of them.

"That's Heorot, Spike," Dinah said, moving down the table with an encouraging smile, "it's yours. Go on, pick it."

Despite his nervousness, he did, shocked that he could lift such a large thing, and so easily! The thick, steel handle supported a massive, square head of blue steel. It could do some serious damage, he figured, and was both excited and terrified. Ana could sympathize.

"It means 'Hall of the Hart', from Beowulf," Dinah told him, and he nodded. "Heavy and slow, but able to decimate your enemies."

Spike studied the weapon, surprised something so amazing was for him. Logan already had his off the table, hands roaming the smooth surface of the massive boomerang. It glinted red, with only two seams of silver near the bend.

"Name for an Aboriginal trickster hero," Dinah smirked, "that's Bamapama. He liked to cause trouble."

Logan grinned unrepentantly, then asked the important question, "But will it come back to me?"

Dinah chuckled as as Del barked out a laugh behind them, "Yes, Logan, it's a functional boomerang. An a good bludgeon, by the way."

She moved on, watching Jaime study his weapon closely. Of them all, his was, by far, the most obviously dangerous looking. Vertebrae of razors lined a black, thin wire, attacked to a black leather handle.

"Baekho," Dinah nodded, and Jaime finally took hold of the handle, "The white tiger of the west. In Korean lore, anyway."

"Very good," She smiled proudly, "we're eyeing an upgrade that'll make it usable as a sword as well as a razor whip."

"It's good the way it is, though, too," He said quietly, picking it up. He was humbled to be trusted with such a beautiful thing, and that they thought him the best match for such a dangerous weapon. He hoped he could live up to that trust.

Through the other four introductions, Ian had long since taken the three yellow metal sections of his staff and snapped them together, and was spinning it near the stairs and far away from any innocent bystanders or expensive computers. Dinah smirked, shaking her head, "I see you found Khudjana . Named for a creator and earth god in Transvaal."

"Aww yeah!" Ian crowed, grinning at the staff. It was light by still substantial, and he spun it easily in his hands, tossing it up to allow it to cartwheel through the air. He caught it, thinking how much fun he could have with it.

Last, but certainly not least, Ellie ran careful fingers over her weapons. The were the only pair, one a soft, feathery pink steel, the other gilded.

"I know they look delicate, but don't let them fool you," Dinah warned. "Chuchabiba, the rainbow goddess," She said, motioning to the pink one, and then the gold, "And Manoa, the capital of El Dorado."

Ellie picked them up, glad they fit her tiny hands. Dinah stood back, looking at them all trying to get a feel for their new armaments.

"There are yours, and yours alone," She said. "You'll be using them just as much as the primal blasters, so get a feel for them. We'll practice—"

Suddenly, the alarms blared to life, red light twirling around the room. The kids look at one another, and then to Dinah, who grinned, "No time like the present. Go try them out."

"It's only Nippies, if the scanners are right," Ana added, "so you'll be fine."

They looked around at one another once again, and Alex flexed her metal-covered fingers eagerly, "Let's go have some fun."

**o.O.o**

Logan had to be the one to land the first hit, and as such, let Bamapama fly long before the reached the actual battlefield. The oversized boomerang spun through the air, taking out five Nippies in a curve before heading back to its user. Logan caught the small handle, crowing, "Hell yeah!"

"Ass," Alex grumbled, as she, too, wanted to land the first blow. She'd settle for second, though, and pushed off, launching into a mass of the icy minions. The first hit landed square in a Nippie's face, and Alex purred with contentment as its face cratered in around Toho Kachina, and then the thing itself melted. She experimented with hitting other parts of their bodies, testing the damage caused to different areas.

Ellie wasn't much of a fighter, but with new toys to try out, who was she to resist? She popped both fans to their full extension, chirping, "Oh, why not?"

Manoa sliced through the closest Nippie like a hot-knife through room-temperature butter, and she sliced at another with Chuchibiba, screaming with happiness, not over her kill, but the rainbow sheen the battle fan emitted in the right light. She bounced, "Oh my god, it's so pretty! I love it!"

Jaime shook his head, shaking Baehko from its curl, only to stare something flew past the visor of his helmet. He followed the movement, watching the massive maul fly for their yellow teammate. Ian must've sensed it, because he dug the end of his staff in the ground and flipped himself with it, out of the way. Heorot hit the Nippie Ian had been aiming for and completely destroyed it on impact. Ian whacked Spike on his helmet, "Watch it, dude! I woulda been squished like a bug!"

"Sorry!" Spike squeaked apologetically, scrambling after his hammer. Ian held Khudjana in both hands, then like a bat, and took to smacking Nippies on the head with gradually-increasing strength, until their necks broke and the heads were shoved between their shoulder blades, and they wandered around, unable to see anything. Ian laughed maniacally, holding his staff over his head, " Yessss !"

Jaime shook his head, and, ever merciful, swung Baehko once over his head before lashing out. The razors made quick work of the disabled Nippies, and Jaime blinked, carefully pulling the razor whip back to him. It was, once again, very humbling to be trusted with such a lethal weapon.

After that, it was little more than a free-for-all full of icy carnage. They tried different moves, teamed up to create new combos, and just trying to cause as much damage as possible in the shortest amount of time. When the battlefield looked like a crop of quickly-melting ice cubes, Alex nodded in approval, "Well, I'm gonna have an obscene amount of fun with these..."

"I already did," Ian cackled, and Logan nodded, "Me, too."

"They're weapons, not toys," Jaime reminded them, and Ellie clicked her tongue, "I don't care what they are; one of mine is a rainbow . The rest doesn't matter."

Spike held his maul carefully, shaking his head, "I agree with Jaime."

"Pfft," Alex snorted, clacking her helmet against Jaime's and then Spike's, "you two are no fun . But let's go home, at any rate."

"I'm just glad someone else has some common sense," Jaime said, and Alex just knew he was smirking smugly. She pushed him gently, "Calm down, grandpa, before you have a heart attack from your rightness ."

"I hate you."

"You keep saying that. You might mean it one day."

"I highly doubt it, but it makes me feel better."


	23. Episode XXII What's in a Name?

**Episode XXII **

** What's In a Name?**

Del walked into the station early in the morning, a black coffee in hand. He saw all the commotion as soon as he got in the door, and stopped by the front desk. He motioned to it with his coffee as Skull came to stand on the other side, "What's all that?"

"Oh, the sheriff's coming home!" Martha beamed, and Skull looked at her dumbly, "We have a sheriff?"

"He was here when you started, Skull," Martha said drily, eyeing the man, then focused on Del, "but he went up north to help a friend since we seem to always have Power Rangers and the sheriff of Stone Canyon if we ever need the help. But anyway," The woman flapped her hand; she did love gossip, and so rarely got to do so, "the sheriff was trying to start another program, or something, and Bo went to cover for him. It's taken several years, but he's finally coming home! He'll be here later today."

Del nodded slowly. Bo was hardly a unique or creative name, but he felt like he knew one, or had come in contact with one. After a few minutes of thought didn't end up in an answer, Del put it off as one of the many fellow members of the Silver Guardians, and went to his desk to start his day.

**o.O.o**

Alex glared at a spot on the wall. It was just white, a small part surrounded by color that had somehow magically avoided being splashed in the wild paint scheme. She tapped her pen on her notebook slowly, not at all focusing on the task at hand. The paper wasn't due for some weeks yet, but they had all decided to get a jump on it in the rare moment without a monster attack. Jaime worked diligently, pencil flying over the paper. Ian and Spike had given up, now watching a video on Ian's cell phone. Ellie worked, but stopped to giggle at a text every two minutes, and judging by the lack of progress on Logan's paper and the dopey smile on his face every time he picked up his phone, that was who she was texting.

Alex hadn't even managed to finish the date before giving up. She stared at that spot on the wall with all the irritation and frustration she had, and was mildly surprised she hadn't gotten laser vision and burned it to the ground. That stupid little spot of white amidst all their colors, mocking her like the mysterious opponent in the white cape and mask.

Kalina.

Alex remembered the name with equal parts anger and curiosity. How could someone work for someone evil ? How could someone be evil? She knew the world wasn't black and white, but it was still a fact that bewildered her. How could someone abuse an animal, or murder in cold blood, or take advantage of a less fortunate individual? It was nothing she'd ever understand.

In the same breath, she wanted to know what was under the mask. Would it be some monster face, or something more akin to a human? Would she be young or old? Hideous or beautiful? Alex had more questions than answers, and that did not make her happy.

She'd began to speed up her tapping, until it was amazing the sheer speed of the action wasn't lifting her hand off the paper. Someone cleared their throat, and when Alex blinked to refocus, her hand freezing, she found everyone staring at her.

"What?" She growled, and Jaime put his pencil down, "Are you okay?"

She thought about it, then growled again, slamming her pen down, " No , I am not. Fuck this paper. I have to go figure something out."

"Need help?" Jaime asked, and somehow everyone knew to keep quiet. She shook her head, braids flying, as she stomped out of the room on a mission.

By God, she would learn something about Kalina today, come hell or high water.

**o.O.o**

When Del saw the sheriff walk through the doors, he blanched. Suddenly, he knew why the name sounded so familiar.

It was the same man.

He'd never dealt with him personally, but knew him in passing from Wes and Eric. The man had Eric's highest respect and Wes' overwhelming nerves, so Del was already unsure.

He wasn't a big man, nowhere near his own height and barely taller than his partner, and of average weight and muscle mass. And yet, even without speaking, Del knew he commanded respect. His hair was short and a medium, tawny brown, laced through with glimmers of gray, and eyes the color of faded denim. Lines creased his face, from the sun and hard times and laughter, and Del flinched when the man turned toward him.

"Oh, Bo!" Martha crooned, running around the desk to wrap him in a tight hug. He chuckled, hugging her back, "You been holding down the fort, Martha?"

"Best I can," She smiled, then clapped, "oh, yes! Let me introduce you to your newest deputy! This is Del Doyle. He moved from up north a year or so ago."

Bo looked to him, eyes too sharp for Del's comfort, and Bo nodded, "You came from Silver Hills, didn't you? You worked with Collins and Myers."

Del didn't bother answering the question the sheriff obviously already knew, and held out his hand, "Pleasure to meet you, sir."

"And you, son," Bo nodded, grabbing the offered hand with a strong grip and shaking it as well. When he let go, he turned to the only other person in the office at the moment, all the other officers out on patrol. Skull was leaning on his arm, drool soaking his sleeve, snoring every so often.

"Skullovitch!"

Skull flinched, hand slipping from his face and with nothing to hold him up, he pitched to the left and hit the floor, feet sticking up and in the opposite direction.

He groaned, and Bo sighed happily, hands in his pockets as he headed for the office, "It's good to be home."

**o.O.o**

Alex thudded down the stairs into the Batcave, looking around at the plethora of screens. They all showed different areas of Angel Grove which were, blessedly, free of monster activity.

Although, at that very moment, she might've liked to hit something.

She flopped into a chair, rolling it halfway across the room, groaning, "Have you found anything yet?"

"No," Dinah frowned, unhappy with her lack of information. She tapped wildly at the computer, scrolling as her gray-blue eyes scanned the screen quickly. After a moment, she leaned back, glaring lightly at the screen as she crossed her arms, "No. And that's bullshit. I can get hits on the name—which is more popular than I expected—but nothing in-depth. And without more information I can't narrow it down."

"Are we sure it's a human?" Alex asked, rolling closer. "I mean...other rangers have run across humanoid monsters, right? Um, Run...Ron—"

"Ransik," Dinah corrected with an amused snort, and Alex glared lightly, "And Divatox!"

"At the beginning," The older of the pair argued, and the younger huffed, crossing her arms as well, "Okay, so we're dealing with an Andromeda—"

"She's good now," Dinah admonished, "her name's Karone."

"Karone instead of a Trakeena," Alex finished, throwing her hands in the air as she slid farther down in the chair, "how do we learn anything with that?"

Dinah remained quiet, then smirked at her charge, "Well, there is one way. If you're up for a trip."

Alex sat up, eyeing her mentor suspiciously, "You've got that look ."

"You wanna know or not, kid?" Dinah asked with a wider smirk, full well knowing the answer. Alex rolled her eyes, dragging herself from the chair, "Fine. Let's go."

**o.O.o**

Del was squinting, carefully trying to apply the bandage to Skull's temple from his fall when his eyes decided to focus beyond that, and he shot up from his chair, knocking Skull over again. He groaned, and Del groped the back of his shirt, yanking him up to hover slightly of the floor in his distraction as he gaped, "What the hell are you two doing here?!"

"Good question," Alex muttered as Dinah smiled innocently, "Stopping to see the sheriff."

"The sheriff?" Alex and Del both questioned with alarm as Dinah motioned to Skull, "You should probably put him down."

Del looked at the man in his hand and grimaced, putting him on his feet. He straightened the man's shirt and dusted him off, checking his forehead bandage, "Sorry."

"Hi, Mr. Skullovitch," Alex said as an afterthought, waving at him, and he waved back, slightly dazed, "Alex."

"Why are you here to see the sheriff?" Del asked, face full of suspicion, and then furrowed his brows, "How did you know he was back?"

She winked as him, smiling like the cat that ate the canary, until someone spoke, "Are you terrorizing my deputies?"

"Only a little," Dinah answered, pivoting on heel to grin at the sheriff. He smiled back, but Del noted instantly that it was all fondness and no exasperation. He crossed his arms, his smile widening of his own accord, "Do I need to cuff you?"

"You'd never do that," Dinah waved it off, laughing, "you know I can get out of them."

"I did teach you that," He agreed, then unfurled his arms to hold them open.

Dinah hit him hard enough to knock him back a couple steps, her arms coming to squeeze him as tight as she could. He squeezed back with equal emotion, and Del watched Dinah close her eyes and bury her face in the sheriff's neck. He leaned his head against her short hair, sighing, "I missed you, kid."

"Me, too," She replied, muffled by his shirt. Del was confused, and couldn't help saying as such, "I'm confused."

Dinah grumbled, pulling away enough to face him, an arm still around the sheriff's waist, "Some people just can't see the resemblance."

Bo eyed her drily, "Still doing that, huh?"

"You gotta admit," Dinah argued, "it's funny to watch people just automatically agree."

The man shrugged in exasperation, and she laughed, bright and airy, jerking her thumb at him, "He's my dad, you dorks."

Del paled as Alex exclaimed, "You have a dad ?!"

"Oh my God," Dinah gasped, "you do, too?!"

Alex eloquently flipped her off as Bo barked out a laugh, motioning to her, "I'm gonna go ahead and assume that's Alex."

"Oh, that's Alex, alright," Dinah smiled fondly, reaching out to tug on a braid as Alex slapped at her hand. She then pointed to Del, "And he's the one I told you about. He helps with the after school program, too."

After school program. Both Del and Alex looked at her, trying to keep straight faces; that was clever . Bo hummed, eying the man in a different light, then turned to his daughter, "As much as I wish it was, I don't think this is just a friendly call."

"It was, partially," She said, then smiled hopefully, "but I do need a little help."

Bo motioned to his office, "Let's go, girls. I'm sure this is gonna be good."

The followed him in the office as Del stared widely at the door, all the information sinking in, and Skull made a small noise of interest, "Who knew?"

**o.O.o**

"You know I can't do that," Bo sighed, looking at his daughter. Dinah groaned dramatically, throwing her head back before talking with her hands, "I know you're not supposed to, but it's for a good reason."

"Which is?" Bo asked, arms crossed. She was being purposefully evasive, and he wasn't terribly inclined to let her have her way until he knew more. She made a face—trying to quickly make up a story, no doubt—when Alex spoke, "We're trying to solve a ridiculous friggin' mystery that is killing me."

Bo blinked at the girl, then snorted a laugh, "Birds of a feather and all that."

"Shut up," Dinah huffed, then smacked her hands on the desk, "but she's right. I just need a few minutes to look something up—"

"Five minutes," Bo said sternly, both young women looking at him hopefully, "you get five minutes. Stay away from any sealed files, do not alter anything, don't look at any open cases, and only search what you want. One search. That better be the only thing in my history. No more, Dinah, and I mean it."

She knew he was being serious, using her name instead of calling her kid. She nodded, and he got up, "And leave the door open."

"Will do, Daddio," Dinah nodded, quickly taking up residence in the chair as Alex perched on the arm, bot of them staring at the screen. Bo shook his head and slid out of the room.

**o.O.o**

Del chewed on his thumb nail, eyes flitting nervously between the sheriff chatting amicably with Martha and the two in the sheriff's office. Alex and Dinah stepped from the office a moment later, right before their five minutes was up, both holding massive stacks of paper between them. The sheriff told Martha goodbye and headed back into his office, and the moment the door closer, Del stood and strode over the two women.

"What the hell is that mess?" He asked, referencing the stacks of paper, and Alex grinned wildly, "All the information we could get on Kalina! I'm finally going to figure out who she is!"

He nodded, then looked at Dinah, "Couldn't have mentioned that?"

"Didn't come up," She shrugged, smiling, "and now you know."

"I should skin you," He said objectively, and she grinned wider, "Why? Because he knows who you are, and you know that I've been talking about you but you don't know what I said?"

"You are an unholy terror," Del sighed with begrudging fondness, cocking his head to the side. "What am I gonna do with you?"

"Oh, you'll figure it out, Freckles," She grinned, bumping his shoulder with her own as the sheriff's office door flew open, "Goddammit, Dinah!"

"Time to go!" She jumped, shoving Alex at the door. She stumbled, and Dinah turned, jogging backwards, "See you at dinner!"

Del nodded, and Bo stuck his head out of the office, face red with anger, "I told you— "

With Alex already out the door, and Dinah a glutton for punishment, she paused with her head in the front door and shouted, "That's what you get for not telling me all these years!"

With a short roar of anger, Bo launched the closest thing he had, which was a thick book at the door before following it quickly. Del and Skull watched through the window as Alex ran across the lawn for dear life, and Dinah cackled, darting after her, "Bye bye, Beauregard! "

**o.O.o**

"How did I get roped into this?" Ana asked, putting a piece of paper in the 'not useful' pile. Alex squinted at her billionth piece of paper, "You love us."

"You were bored," Dinah said as well, and Ana rolled her eyes, "Rhetorical question. How did he get roped into this?"

Spike paid her no attention, staring at a sheet of paper for a moment before putting it in a pile. Dinah and Alex looked at him for a moment before looking at each other and finally shrugging, and Ana huffed, "You two are no help."

They fell into silence again, the sound of papers shuffling the only thing to be heard in the big dining room. Finally, Spike held up a paper, looking unsure but hopeful, "Is this useful?"

Alex snatched it from him, eyes scanning it quickly before she exclaimed, " Yes ! Spike, you genius !"

He flushed red, going shyly back to his stack as Dinah got up to lean of Alex's shoulder. Alex's face fell, " Is it useful? I thought it was, but..."

Dinah said nothing, reading the paper. It was a detailed report of a filing of a kidnapping by a Gilden Smith of his niece. It was unremarkable by itself, but the fact someone else had filed just a week later, also claiming to be the child's uncle, was something. His name was Rito Reed. Dinah's jaw dropped, "No way ."

"What?" Ana asked, and Dinah waved the paper, "A Gilden Smith and Rito Reed filed a missing persons on their niece. Gilden and Rito."

"Not possible," Ana said, then further expanded on it, "but if it's their niece..."

Both the women began to dig through the papers with renewed passion. It didn't take much longer to sort the useful from the not, and the latter class of papers was throw in the floor to spread the former out on the table. They highlighted passages that caught their eyes, and then leaned back to look at the puzzle in its whole.

"This says they couldn't follow through with the investigation because they couldn't find any records of the supposed parents," Ana said, waving a piece of paper as Dinah lifted another, "This is the copy of a birth certificate, though. Kalina Dione Zeddrickson. Zeddrickson, are you kidding me?"

"But it's not listed in any courthouses or anything, so the police couldn't follow through," Ana said, then looked at her old friend, "Is this for real? Could she really be...?"

"Mother, Rita Zeddrickson," Dinah read, shaking her head, "Father, Ed Zeddrickson. I don't think we could make this shit up."

"Oh, that explains it," Spike muttered, and all three women whipped their heads around to stare at him. He flinched, then went on to explain, talking with his hands, "Uh, her—Kalina-her staff looked familiar. Dad had a picture of Rita Repulsa from a paper a long time ago, and she's got her staff. Kalina's looked just like it."

The women looked at each other, and Dinah and Ana both took off in opposite directions; Ana up the stairs, Dinah to the basement. They returned a moment later, the former with an old newspaper, and the latter with a print off from their satellite cameras. They compared the staffs, and despite slight changes, they were very obviously the same item.

"No way," Ana whispered as Dinah swore, "Holy shit."

"Kalina is Rita Repulsa and Zedd's daughter," Alex said slowly, the situation finally sinking in.


	24. Episode XXIII Fender Bender

**A.N. LilMissFerret here, hoping everyone enjoys the updates! These four chapters are still getting everyone settled into those suits, but the tension is heating up! Be sure to check back next time, when out first big multi-parter debuts! And for some special info, be sure to check our profile too! **

**We greatly appreciate all of the views we are getting, even with our tumultuous update schedule. Just to let everyone know, this story is mostly complete, even if its not all posted. We're shooting for 55+ chapters, but some chapters have a mind of their own!**

**Anyway, enjoy the update!**

* * *

**Episode XXIII**

**Fender Bender**

Tony hummed quietly, a little ditty he'd picked up somewhere down south, as he crossed the yard. He had just gotten back to town after an unexpected two week stint in South America. The cuisine had been amazing, as had the lovely, _ah,_ visuals. A small breeze blew past him, ruffling the fresh cut grass, and stirring up a few loose hairs.

With a small flick he righted his hair, before shielding his eyes to peer up into the sky. The weather, as it often was, was warm and bright. Only a handful of large puffy clouds dotted the perfect blue image before him. Tony smiled, flashing his perfect teeth, and continued on, an extra bit of spring to his step.

"Morning, Cain!" he called cheerfully as he past by the garage.

Cain grunted, never bothering to shift his eyes away from the sleek body of his Lamborghini. His dog, Bandit, however, rose to his feet, leaving his master's side for the moment. The shepherd mix trotted past him, and with a remarkable amount of patience, sat to block the path.

Tony chuckled, he knew exactly what the dog wanted. After a furious search through his pockets, the man produced a lumpy package. Bandit's thick tail pounded against the gravel, his thoughtful eyes trained on the prize.

Without a moment to lose, Tony freed the doughnut from its prison, and tossed it into the air. Bandit caught the food, springing into the air in one fluid movement, and then preceded to walk away, as if nothing had ever happened.

"Good dog," he muttered with an amused shake of his head.

Cain, on the other hand, grumbled in the distance. Something about 'treats' and 'getting fat'.

"Honey, I'm home!" he called as he sauntered through the main door, only to be greeted rather less than pleasant.

"Don't call us that!" Dinah barked, glaring at him as he walked past the chair she had claimed for the day.

Another noise greeted him from the kitchen, more of a growl than a bark, "About time you came home."

"I know, I know," he purred at her. "It _is _nice to be missed."

"Hah!" Dinah scoffed, swinging her legs off of the armrest. "So who were you boinking this time?"

Tony brought his hand up to his chest in feint offense. "Why, I've never!" He didn't have to wait long for the eye roll and groan. "She was Argentinean. Or from Chile? To be honest, I'm not certain."

"For someone who dresses so fancy, you have no class," Analise informed him with a disapproving shake of the head as she entered the room. "Cookie?" she added, offering him a plate of fresh-baked delights.

He chose a few of the sweets, ignoring the previous jab. "So," he started, breaking off a tiny chunk of his cookie before popping it in his mouth, "how is everything?"

The women had, however, decided to turn to each other, muttering insults as if he wasn't standing within three feet of them. Tony finished his snack before clearing his throat. "Uhmh, ladies…"

"Perhaps, you shouldn't skip town at the drop of the hat, then," Ana told him. "You could answer your phone at the very least."

Dinah shrugged when he cast his eyes her way, "Well, what did you expect? A welcome home party?"

"Yes," he answered seriously. "Now _that _would have been a lovely surprise."

Ana threw a hand over her face in exasperation. "Everything is fine, Tony. No thanks to you, I might add, but all of the bills are paid, and no one has died."

He nodded, "Very good. Now, where has Del gotten himself to? I need to speak to him about something."

"He's _working,_" Dinah answered. "Not that you would know the meaning."

"Pity." The plane ride was starting to catch up with him, so, with a sigh, he added, "I'll be upstairs taking a nap. Don't bother knocking."

He retreated to his bedroom then, the faint sound of disapproval ushering him out the door. _So nice to be home_, he thought with a faint smile before sinking into his plush mattress and drifting off.

**o.O.o**

Kalina sat on the edge of the porch roof, dangling her booted feet out the edge.

The house was nothing fancy, and not very suspicious either. In fact she wouldn't have found it at all if she hadn't been following the rangers in her off time.

Now they were pretty noticeable. Each one sported their color like some badge of honor, a symbol for the whole world to see and yet no one to understand.

She had picked up on it though, both from just paying attention, and from listening to her mistress. The ice queen had lots of ideas about taking out the rangers, but, as of yet, none of those had seemed to meet her expectations.

Why Kalina had decided to perch herself on the sun baked shingles was anyone's guess, although it did make for a nice overlook.

Currently she had seen a total of five people, all adults, and none of them any rangers she could identify. She assumed that meant they were the higher ups, those pulling the strings, and an interesting bunch they were.

The big man with the old orange truck had left first, right as the sun was just beginning to rise. He didn't seem to have a care in the world, no worries that he was being watched.

The young brunette woman was much the same as she hurried across the small stretch of grass that separated her house to the car.

The second woman to appear however, unsettled her. She took the quick trip in a handful of steps, unhurried but clearly with an agenda. She stopped short, freezing for a split second before whirring around.

The young woman scanned her surroundings before casting her gaze upwards. The two of them locked eyes for a moment, which sent a shiver down Kalina's spine.

She remained completely still until the woman shrugged off whatever had triggered her and sped off on her bike.

Just to be sure, Kalina held up her hand and was pleased to, well, not see it. Reassured that her concealment charms were still active, Kalina relaxed.

After a while a fourth person stirred, closely followed by a dog. This man was noticeably smaller that the first. And he didn't seem all that pleased with the warm weather.

He scowled at the sky as he stalked across the lawn. He tugged off his over shirt and tossed it onto the gravel drive.

And then... Nothing.

For what must have been hours, Kalina switched between sunbathing and wanting to bash her head in. Cursing this pointless mission, Kalina was just about to give up when the fifth person appeared.

She couldn't look away from the horrible brown and gold mess that he called a shirt. Aside from the short distraction he created, however, nothing really changed.

Eventually everyone disappeared, and that was the point when her patience completely vanished. Taking her chances, Kalina dropped off of the roof.

She could have just disappeared, gone home to the chilly confines of the ice castle, but she was hot and irritated. So, Kalina took her feelings out on the closest thing to her.

Pointing her staff at the shiny silver beast that the second man had been tinkering with for hours, Kalina cast an animation charm.

For a moment she had thought about spawning a hoard of Nippies to drive off in the car, but she wasn't convinced they would actually get the car off of the lot. Instead she brought the car to life.

Its engine roared to life, and the headlights lit up. She didn't have to tell it to do anything, it simply acted on one simple principle, destruction.

Content for the moment, Kalina watched the car speed off with a smirk before disappearing herself.

**o.O.o**

Cain was screaming.

It was the first thing Tony took notice of as he bolted straight up in bed, hair in a disarray, and clothes disheveled. Not yelling, or shouting, but literally, bona fide _screaming._

Concern immediately shot through his wreck of a body, and he found his legs despite the jet lag and lack of sleep. He moved as fast as he could, darting through the house, and swinging open the door.

Had the event not been so jarring, it might have been quite comical. Cain was on his knees near the driveway, screaming at the blasted sky like it had just murdered his entire family.

Tony made a mental note not to actually say that aloud, and took the old porch steps quickly. Ana and Dinah were nowhere to be found, and a quick glance around the lot showed that Ana's car had disappeared. And Del still hadn't returned yet, either.

Before he had the chance to ask, Cain turned to him, eyes on fire and spat, "Its gone! _My five hundred thousand dollar car is gone."_

Disbelieving, Tony eyed the driveway suspiciously, but sure enough, the shining silver beast had vanished.

"Where did it go?' he wondered. But his question was met with a scathing look. Tony held up his hands in apology. "Well, it obviously didn't drive itself out!"

It was about that time when, unsurprisingly, things went from bad to worse. Incredibly worse.

**o.O.o**

Ian was busily drooling over his math teacher. He didn't know what it was, maybe it was just because algebra was _that_ boring. That's not to say Ms. Carver was ugly or anything, she just happened to be in a different category.

It was then that Ms. Carver tossed her long hair over her shoulder as she turned from the white board. The long, daunting problem scrawled in blue ink had nothing on the brilliant shiny quality of her long silver tresses.

"Mr. Taylor?"

"Hmm?" he replied dreamily, before his brain came back online. "Uh - yes?"

"Would you please turn off your watch?" she asked him, quite kindly despite the awkward moment.

Confused, Ian eyed his wrist suspiciously. _Watch? _he thought with a furrowed brow before he made the connection. As if on cue, the communicator on his wrist chimed again.

He slapped his hand over it quickly, "Sorry, Ms. C." Then, thinking of a quick excuse, "May I go to the bathroom?"

The teacher quirked an eyebrow at him, but nodded nonetheless.

**o.O.o**

"Ian?" Alex questioned when the slight ping alerted her that someone was on the other line. "Come on already. What's taking so long?"

It took him a moment longer, but his voice finally came over the line, "_Sorry. I - uh - fell asleep in class."_

"Just hurry up! We've got a little problem," she told him while Jaime gave her a strange look. "What?" she asked him, her tone irritable.

"Oh, nothing," he answered with half a smile. "What would you call an emergency?"

She tossed the question around thoughtfully for a moment, "The second coming?"

What ever Jaime was about to say was cut off by Spike's arrival. The blue ranger slipped on a discarded paper laying on the waxed floor, and with an ear-splitting screech, landed in a heap of blue camouflage.

Alex slapped a hand over her face, but she still made the effort of pulling the walking safety hazard up off of the ground.

"Are you okay, Spike?" Jaime questioned while she adjusted his crooked hat impatiently.

Spike was busily rubbing his throat where his horrid spiked choke collar had dug into his flesh. "Yeah, I'm fine."

They waited another minute before Logan and Ellie caught up. "Let's go," Alex said impatiently, leading the others toward the closest door.

**o.O.o**

Dinah came speeding up the driveway with hurried abandon, spewing gravel in her path. The rocks went pelting in all direction like tiny missals.

Somewhere behind her, Ana was following at a much more reasonable pace, but then again, her little car couldn't fly around the twists and turns like she could. Or pass four impossibly slow drivers in a single swoop.

When she reached the house she dismounted just as quickly, barely remembering to put the kickstand in place before letting go of her bike. With a click she had dislodged her helmet as well, and let it dangle over one of the handle bars.

She was already inside when the _crunch _of gravel announced the arrival of her fellow mentor. Dinah scanned the different rooms as she passed by, but she assumed that everyone else was already tucked down in the Batcave.

Sure enough, Del was standing near the bottom of the stairs, looking decidedly disgruntled. "What's up?" Dinah asked him as she came into the room. The adrenaline pumping through her veins had her on edge, especially after the panicked call she had gotten from Tony.

The man in question was fiddling with the keyboard at his station, trying to get a glimpse of their elusive baddy of the week. Ana was behind her then, suddenly pointing at the screen. "Is that…?" she gasped, unable to finish the thought before Dinah was bent over, cackling.

"It is!" she managed when she came up for air. She didn't even care how this whole mess had came to be, she was only sad that she had missed Cain's discovery.

"Please, tell me Cain didn't snap and go on some homicidal rampage," Ana pleaded, looking between the trio.

"_No," _growled the man in question as he appeared from the zord hatch. Cain lacked his usual aloof demeanor. Instead, he looked like someone had just destroyed his entire life in a single swoop.

"_This just in," _Dinah started with her best impression of everyone's favorite reporter. "_Random fancy-ass car attacks unsuspecting common folk. Citizens are warned to stay indoors, and to get off their fucking high horses. Who needs a Ferrari in Angel Grove anyways?"_

"It's a _Lamborghini!" _Cain hissed at her between clenched teeth. If looks could kill, she'd surely have collapsed, but she had _invented _that look.

"Well, _excuse me, _princess," she snapped back. "What do I look like? A car salesman?"

Cain seemed to consider jumping her, and she hoped that he would. There was nothing wrong with knocking the asshole down a peg or two. Unfortunately, he thought better of it, stomping off with clenched fists as he threw himself into his own chair.

"Children," Tony chided them despite the amused glint in his eyes, "I do believe we have some work to do."

**o.O.o**

They arrived at the scene just in time to see Cain's car chasing a terrified man up the street. The guy couldn't have been a whole lot older than them, with his skateboard under one arm, and a heavy looking book bag slung over his shoulders. The bag thudded into the stranger's back with every foot fall, making the entire scene look quite painful.

Noticing the fresh targets, the car spun dramatically, burning rubber as the tires gripped the asphalt. Until that moment, the thing had looked the same as always, aside from the horrendous dent in the passenger side door and the myriad of scratches all over the shiny surface. As it swung around, however, the headlights glowed a strange greenish-yellow, and they seemed to twist into a menacing glare.

They had just a moments notice before the car revved its engine and sped toward them, faster than they could ever outrun. The six of them dived out of the way, divided on either side of the road as it passed by.

Logan had had the sense to grab Ellie as he flung himself out of the way, taking her small frame with his much larger one as they crashed to the filthy pavement.

There were worse fates than lying on the ground, hardly able to breathe, with the girl of your dreams on top of you, he reckoned, but it probably wasn't the safest option at that moment.

"Um, Elle," Logan started, trying to keep his head clear. It was hard though, since her exquisitely soft bits were doing some terrible things to his own anatomy. "Do you mind?"

The entire encounter had lasted twenty seconds, tops, but the whole world seemed to be spinning in slow motion.

"Sorry!" she squeaked. Her cheeks flushed an attractive pink as she slipped off of him.

"Its okay," he assured her with a timid smile. That strange uneasy feeling had settled in his stomach, a feeling he was growing more and more accustomed to whenever she was around. He might have said something stupid then, like how cute she looked with the big streak of crime that coated her cheek from the fall, but by that time the car had turned around and was on its way back.

"Morphing time!" Ian called as they scrambled to get out of the way once again. The street was packed on either side with parked cars, giving them only a little bit of wiggle room, and Logan felt like a matador facing down one hell of a mad bull.

They morphed quickly, but even in suit they were still unsure of what to do. It wasn't like one of them could pick up a car. _Or maybe slice it in half_, he thought with a smirk. Despite how funny the image he had conjured was, they had a very real predicament.

Looking to Alex, Logan asked, "Well, boss, any ideas?"

The green ranger snapped her head quickly in his direction, and he was sure he was being glared at beneath the shatterproof glass.

"Take out the wheels," she suggested. "And the headlights."

He nodded absentmindedly, pulling his boomerang from his back, as Alex disappeared into the battle. His first throw was a bit off, but he managed to crack the windshield. Another blow, and the right headlight was winking in and out.

Until that point, Alex had been distracting the mad vehicle, slashing at the tires with her heavy duty gauntlets, but it was beginning to catch on. It turned to face him, only to be intercepted. The others helped where they could, but their weapons weren't conducive to this type of attack.

Spike still managed to fling his mace at the thing, shattering the back glass, and Jaime's whip cracked dangerously as it contacted the left headlight. Ellie and Ian were just more of a distraction, like rodeo clowns, but much easier on the eyes. In Ellie's case at least, he couldn't really say for Ian.

His best friend, however, was the one to charge the car. He used his staff to vault himself into the air, which would have looked pretty cool, if he hadn't contacted the exact spot where Logan had cracked the windshield.

The weapon, combined with Ian's weight, crashed through the glass. Ian lost hold of it, and went rolling as his body bounced off of the hood and into the street. His yellow helmet smashed into the asphalt with tremendous force, and he seemed to crumple in on himself.

A bolt of fear raced through Logan, but he pressed on, slinging his boomerang once more. The metal smashed into the car hard enough to cause a dent around the headlight, and the light to go dark.

As if disoriented, the car swerved to the left, before swinging the other way drunkenly. The right light still blinked, but the power seemed to be faint at best. The red blur that was his weapon homed in on him, and Logan snatched it easily from the air.

Ellie swooped in next, as she was the closest. She swiped at the remaining light with both of her fans. The world stilled for a moment as the crack spread over the headlight. But the car didn't simply stop.

With the glass shattered, both of the headlights flared back to life, but this time they glowed a fiery orange. Ellie back up nervously, but she couldn't have gotten away fast enough.

Before she had taken three steps, the car exploded, sending the pink ranger flying. Logan screamed her name as he watched her fall back to the ground.

**o.O.o**

The five of them sat in shocked silence as they watched the monstrosity plummet to the ground. The explosion was especially volatile, clearly rocking the surrounding buildings on their foundations, and filling the air with a dark cloud of smoke.

For a moment they stayed still, waiting on the rangers to reappear. From the smoke, the six of them, looking ragged and filthy, scrambled out of the destruction. Alex's skirt was a scorched mess, and Spike was wobbly on his feet. Ian leaned heavily on Jaime's smaller frame, but he seemed in good spirits as he held a shaky thumbs up to the nearest security camera. Logan seemed tense, but otherwise okay, as he carried Ellie out of the damage.

The girl had gotten the worst of it, with her scorched suit, scratched helmet, and cracked visor, but she clung to Logan with impressive strength.

Everyone seemed to let out the breath they had been holding, but the relief didn't last long. Cain had officially given up all hope, burying his face is hands in genuine despair. The others were going through a range of other emotions. Ana gave him mixed look of empathy and uncertainty, while Del looked away, unsure how to take the uncharacteristic show of emotion. But it was Dinah's smirk that ruined the sullen moment.

"Hope you have monster insurance," she told him with a friendly pat on the back, then she pressed the button to turn on her microphone. "Good job, guys!"

**o.O.o**

The rangers did managed to have a pinch of luck today, as whatever magic had gotten into the car seemed to have vanished with the explosion. They waited around, just to be sure, but the smoking remains never did anything more than crackle as the fire ate into the leather seats.

Thoroughly exhausted, the teens piled onto the sidewalk, popping their helmets off as they got comfortable. "Well that could have gone better," Ian told them, massaging he back of his head where he had smashed it into the road.

Jaime was busily prodding at a bit of singed skin on Alex's hand. "Could have been worse, too," he offered, never looking up from his work.

"My brain feels like mush," Spike complained, holding his head in his hands.

Ian laughed good-naturedly as Alex reminded him, "You have to have a brain first, Spike."

Ellie seemed especially quiet, though, sitting in his lap. They were a bit separated from the rest of the group, but still close enough not to seem rude. He couldn't help himself, he just wanted her for himself for the moment.

With her head resting softly on his chest, and her bright blond ponytail draped over his arm, he felt content. Logan rocked her slowly, and whispered, "You all right, Elle?"

"Mhm," she mumbled back, burying her face against him.

He didn't exactly believe her, but he was glad she was safe in his arms for the moment. He couldn't explain the terrible feeling that had rooted him to the ground as she was thrown, he only knew he never wanted to feel that way ever again.

Logan gave her a small kiss on the top of her head, inhaling the sweet smell of her shampoo. Ellie glanced up at him then, her pretty blue eyes questioning.

"Thank you," she told him. "For carrying me, I mean."

"Anytime," he assured her with a grin. "Just don't go getting yourself blown up anymore, okay?"

"No promises," she returned, with a dazzling smile.

"Ellie?" he asked then, searching her delicate face. "Can I ask you something?"

Her brow furrowed slightly, "Of course."

"We've been friends for forever, and, uh, you know I wouldn't want to mess anything up between us…" he trailed off, his throat suddenly tight.

"But?" she implored, batting her eyelashes at him.

Logan gulped, "I'd understand if you don't, you know, feel the same way, but, I was wondering, if you might like to go out. With me. On a - a date."

For one heart stopping moment, he thought she wasn't going to say anything, but before he could formulate an escape plan, Ellie had flung herself out of his lap to wrap her arms around his neck.

"Yes, yes, _yes!_" she squealed into his ear. He was too excited to even care about his imminent loss of hearing. For a moment all was right in the world, and neither of them even heard the excited whoops of their teammates, or Ian's less than quiet, "Its about damn time!"


	25. Episode XXIV Feet-n-Feathers

**Episode XXIV**

**Feet-n-Feathers**

It was a dreary morning in Angel Grove, overcast and almost cold really. Ellie wasn't impressed by the drastic shift in temperature when it had been so hot the day before that she had threatened to strip out of her dress and parade around school naked. She had been joking, of course, but Logan's shocked expression was worth a laugh.

Still, Ellie wasn't known for being a pessimist and quickly selected her favorite sweater to wear for the day. It was the perfect shade of pink, not too dark or too light, and not super bright either. _And _it was comfortable.

With a pale pair of jeans and her hair tied back in a tight ponytail, she was ready for the day. She gave her mother a quick hug and bolted out the door, not surprised in the slightest by the shiny red car parked by the curb.

Logan was staring off into space, his dark eyes hidden behind a pair of shades and his head leaned back heavily against the headrest. Wondering if he might have nodded back off while waiting, Ellie carefully opened the door, not wanting to startle him. "Good morning," she announced brightly, sliding into the passenger seat.

His head jerked up suddenly, and his strong hands clenched at the steering wheel. She could almost feel the panic written on his face. "Uh. Mornin' Elle," he returned, his voice rough. "You look nice," he added after a quick scan of her.

"Thanks," she grinned as the faintest of blushes spread over her cheeks. For the last week they had been doing this, this strangely simple routine.

It wasn't like she had never been alone with Logan, it had happened more than once in their long friendship, but being _together _and alone seemed to make all the difference. She was suddenly nervous and self conscious, and she never had been before.

He was sweet to her, impossibly so, and she had never been _so _happy. But she was also terrified that one day he was going to wake up and decide he had made a huge mistake. What if he went back for Tiffany? She couldn't bare the thought.

Then again, she didn't have to. Logan shifted the car into drive, and once they were securely on the main road, he curled his fingers around hers, just like he had been doing it his whole life. All of their pieces just seemed to fit together.

She sighed happily, and couldn't even complain when he threatened to deafen them with his jacked up sound system. The trip was unfortunately short, and after only a brief ten minutes, she had to release him, at least for the moment.

Logan parked in his personal spot, and jumped out of the car in a hurry. He dashed around the front of his car, pulling his dark jacket tight over his red t-shirt, while she touched up her make-up, and popped the passenger door open.

Ellie took his extended hand, and let him pull her out of the seat. He half-smiled at her, and it was her undoing. Then, before she had time to think herself out of it, Ellie did something she hadn't yet done.

She climbed onto her toes, and placed the daintiest of kisses on his lips. "You're the best, you know," she whispered on her decent. Logan just stood there, completely in shock, and she couldn't help but laugh. "Come on, sweetie. We're going to be late."

The boy just nodded, content to be led by her, as they moved past the few crowds of people that were brave enough to face the cold. Their own crowd had found a table in the cafeteria, chattering wildly, all except Spike, who was sound asleep.

They said their hellos briefly, but their own conversation drew them back, all except Ian, who examined his best friend carefully. "What'd you do, Ellie?"

The others glanced back, and Alex laughed, "Oh God, you broke him!"

Ellie blushed red for the second time this morning. "I-I didn't do anything…" she tried, but no one seemed to believe her.

"Sure, sure," Ian said, climbing out of his seat and coming up behind them. He shook Logan by the shoulder, "Wake up, dude. What ever she did, you probably want to be awake enough for her to do it again."

"Mhm," he murmured back.

"Logan?" Ellie questioned, squeezing the hand she still had in her own. "Oh, no… Maybe I did break him!"

The others continued to laugh at her, and only the ringing of the first bell could stopper them. "Give him to me, Ellie," Jaime offered. "We've got Spanish first this morning."

Ellie scanned her boyfriend's face one last time. "O-okay," she relented. She didn't want to turn him loose, but as her first class was on the opposite side of the building, she didn't really have a choice. She untangled their hands, but before she could get more than a few steps away, Logan was back on her.

He grabbed her hand tightly, but not so much that it was uncomfortable. "Wait!" he called, like he had just realized what had happened.

She wanted to ask if he was okay, but he didn't give her the chance. One moment he was standing there looking at her, and the next his lips were plastered to hers, in a real proper kiss.

The whole world went dim for what seemed like hours, until a round of awkward coughing drew them apart. "Alright, alright, I think that's enough of that," Alex said, pushing herself between them. "Break it up, lovebirds, its time for class."

"Bye, Elle. See you at lunch," Logan told her softly, but all she could manage in return was a small, breathless, "Bye."

"Spike! Biology is in five minutes. Get up!"

Ellie shook off the last of her strange feelings, and came to her senses enough to help wake Spike up. His book bag was wet with drool, and went he jerked up, his face had a long red sleep line cutting across it.

"I'm up, I'm up," he replied groggily.

"Sure you are," Ellie murmured back to him, easing his long, thin frame out of the chair.

The rangers split ways after that, Jaime and Logan heading down the left hall to Spanish, while the rest of them climbed the stairs. And all was right with the world, for the moment.

**o.O.o**

"No, no, _no!" _the drama teacher screamed, throwing his pink beret to the ground and stomping it against the tile. "This is _Sleeping Beauty _not _MacBeth_! Its soft, and sweet. Be gentle!"

The little man was quite frightening, even at barely five feet tall and dressed completely in pastels. Even Ellie was taller than he was, but when the bell rang at the end of last period, she was the first out the door.

The drama room was at the far end of the school, and her locker was on the floor above, so she had to move fast if she wanted to get off the school property before the buses ran. Or else they'd be stuck for a solid twenty minutes.

She ran into Spike first, dragging his feet out of his math class. He looked dejected, and judging by the piece of paper he had clutched in his hand, she could guess why.

"There are other tests, Spike," she told him kindly, resting her hand on his forearm. She wasn't about to tell him she'd gotten a 97 on the same one.

"Hey!" came Logan's voice from up ahead. Ellie jerked her head in his direction, dropping her hand.

"Logan!" she called with a grin that lit up the entire hallway. She bound over to him, arms outstretched, and wrapped herself around him.

He caught her, and yanked her up in the air with a small spin. "How was your day?" he asked as he placed he back on the ground.

She made a face, thinking about the lecture they'd gotten last period. "Mr. Deaver isn't happy about our rehearsals."

Ellie continued to chatter on, Logan at her side pretending to listen, while Spike trailed behind. They were soon joined by Ian and Alex, and moments later, Jaime came from out of nowhere, hiking his bag over his shoulder.

"So," he started, "where are we going?"

**o.O.o**

By the time they got out of the school they were all caught up on the day's gossip. It was still cool, and the sky kept threatening to shower them with rain, but none of them were ready to go home quite yet. Confetti's parking lot was completely packed on their drive by, however, so they had settled for the less glamorous destination that was the park.

The place was deserted, and the usually pleasant park was quiet and unnerving. "Something doesn't feel right.." Spike muttered, looking over his shoulder worriedly.

"It's nothing, Spike. This place is empty." Ellie assured him, but she couldn't help the shiver that ran up her spine.

"But-" he started to protest. Then a strange chattering call broke the silence, and set them all on edge.

"Was that - ?"

"Shit."

"Every fuckin' time," Logan sighed, digging the sole of his tennis shoe into the dirt as he dropped into his fighting stance. Ellie did the same, slightly behind him, but just as capable, despite his protectiveness.

All at once, twenty bluish creatures dropped from nowhere. They circled all around them, with hard, jerky movements, like their joints were frozen in place.

There was a stand-off for a moment, and then the bravest, or perhaps the stupidest, Nippie charged forward. The others followed suit, and ran directly into their line of fire.

One, two, _three,_ she counted in her head as the minions shattered. Where they were stiff, the rangers were fluid, moving about each other, working together to dispatch the threat.

The creatures fell like dominoes, but when the last began to melt away, they knew better than to resume their walk. They scanned the park warily, searching for another threat. There was always some monster, ready to try them on, for glory, or power, or whatever it was that Wintressa had promised them.

They moved slowly, working their way inwards, six pairs of eyes darting in every direction, when they spotted her.

It had to be a monster, no one in their right mind would be dressed like_ that_, on a day like _this_. The dress she wore was long, skimming the ground with the hem of the rosy colored fabric, with big, puffy sleeves, and ribbons of all colors twirled around her waist.

The dress was one thing, the pointed hat, complete with a ribbon that flowed past her long blonde hair, was something totally different.

The creature spun on her heel, sending a shower of rainbow sparkles to the ground as the dress puffed up around her form. The shining glitter had her distracted, but when the monster cackled manically, Ellie's eyes were drawn up to its face.

While the form was certainly feminine, the thin, pointy face was anything but. With a beak like nose, and a course set of eyebrows to match the black goatee, the creature painted a confused picture.

"Why _hello,_ Rangers!" it cooed at them, followed by a dainty blown kiss.

"Yep, that's it, I'm going home," Ian muttered behind her.

She had to agree, of all the monsters they had fought so far, and all of those she had heard about in the past, this one had to be high on strangest list.

"Ooh hoo hoo! I forgot to introduce myself! How _rude,_" he told them in his false, high-pitched voice. "I'm Mr. Feathers. Or Feathers, if you please." Feathers continued to chatter, dipping into a curtsey as he said his name.

The show was horribly eye-catching, something like watching a train wreck in slow motion, but Alex was having none of it. "Come on, Birdbrain. We don't have all day."

He pouted with his candy-colored lips. "If it's a fight you want, then a fight you shall have," he sneered, his voice turning dark and menacing.

A haunted look took over his lavender eyes, and with his next breath, he hurled himself forward. His lithe body seemed to skim across the ground, one fluid movement after another.

They couldn't even get near him, even after they morphed. His multitude of ribbons swirled through the air, some burned when touched, others sparked, and a few whipped and twirled around their captives, drawing them in.

He batted off every attack they threw at him, and nothing seemed to cut through his defenses. The stand still continued, a dance of sorts, until a bright blue ribbon caught her by surprise. The bright fabric twirled around Ellie's ankle, and with a sharp tug sent her sprawling to the ground.

"Logan!" she screamed, dropping her fans so she could dig her fingers into the hard dirt. Her efforts did little, and despite his desperate onslaught, Logan couldn't get anywhere near her.

Farther and farther she slid. Her entire body felt tight and constricted, and the feeling only kept intensifying. It took her several feet of space before Ellie realized the impossible. She wasn't just being dragged, she was shrinking, fast.

With no escape, Feathers reeled her in, and enveloped her in the satin folds of his interior. Dark, damp, and smelling of freshly tilled sewage, Ellie consigned herself to her end, half in shock, half in tears.

To make matters worse, over the next several minutes, four blips of light cut through the darkness, and four of the others joined her cave of utmost doom.

Their only hope was Logan. "Logan," she whispered to herself, pulling her knees up to her chin. "Save us, Logan."

**o.O.o**

Panicked by his sudden abandonment, Logan ravaged the monster with every ounce of his strength. He didn't think, or feel, he just did. And with one powerful blow after another, he backed the pink monstrosity into a lone tree, and pinned him there with a hand to the throat.

The ribbons drifted harmlessly to the ground as the monster choked. "No!" he gasped, eyes wide with terror as the red ranger pulled back his weapon.

With a wild slash of his boomerang, Logan slit Mr. Feathers' torso open, and sent the monster shattering to the ground. His teammates spilled out of the gash, dripping a sticky black goo, but otherwise they looked unharmed.

Alex took a fist full of the ick from her visor and slung it to the ground. "That shit reeks," Ian said between gags.

But Logan only had eyes for one of them. They would only have a few moments before that atrocity grew to the size of skyscrapers, but he had to make sure she was okay. Personally.

Ellie was trying, and failing miserably, to get rid of the mess that coated her usually pristine pink uniform. Even when the rest of them were coated in filth, she somehow remained clean, but not this time.

Logan didn't care about the mess, or the smell, all we wanted was to make sure she was actually there, to feel her with his own hands.

"Don't touch me, Logan," she told him as he neared her. "You'll get your suit dirty."

"I don't care," he returned stubbornly. With careful hands he reached under the lip of her helmet and pulled on the latches. Her helmet gave way, splitting open to reveal her flawless skin beneath. Even her makeup was intact.

"What are you doing?" she breathed, searching his expressionless visor for some kind of answer.

"I-I just had to make sure you were okay."

Ellie smiled up at him, her blue eyes twinkling like gemstones. "I'm fine, honey. You saved me."

Logan puffed up a little at that, proud of that accomplishment. "Anything for you, sweetheart."

Several feet away, Alex turned her back on the happy couple. "This is going to be a running thing now, isn't it?" she sighed in Jaime's direction, one hand on her hip and the other covering her eyes. The boy only shook his head at her, making Spike burst into a fit of laughter. "Someone else break them up. I think I'm blind."

Ian moved to do so, but his trip was cut short when the puddle that had once tried to eat them started to take shape once more.

"Damn," he cursed under his breath.

Hurriedly, Logan handed Ellie back her helmet, and she snapped it back into place. "Time to finish this one off for good," he told her, his usual arrogance back in full force.

Ellie danced along beside him, and he could practically feel the smile that was surely still on her lips. Before Mr. Feathers had enough time to take shape, their zords arrived, and they were forced to part.

The giant metal animals piled into the clearing, roaring and snorting. If they hadn't been so shiny, and gigantic, they just might have been alive.

Logan sailed into the cockpit of his zord, and patted the dash. "Come on, buddy. Let's show this douche who's boss."

His restraints automatically fastened themselves down around his body, and the console flared to life. The zords controlled like another appendage these days, responding to the lightest of touches, and that, more than anything, probably stopped Ellie from being snatched out of the air.

The pink ribbon was back, and larger than ever. The strip of fabric missed the Parrot Zord by a few inches, but quickly found another target. The pink tongue wrapped itself around the throat of Ian's giraffe, and sent it toppling to the ground with a heavy _thud._

"We can't keep this up, Alex," Jaime said warily after his own zord got flung half way across the park. "The zords are powerful enough like this."

Alex was silent while she considered their options, but in the end she agreed. "Activate Megazord Mode, guys."

Logan reluctantly agreed, even though he hadn't gotten a clear shot of his own yet, and flipped the switch that set his transformation in motion. The Dingo Zord bent and twisted, tucking its legs against its belly, and leaning back its head.

Spike's zord fell into place beside his, quickly followed by Ian's, all while Jaime and the girls kept Feathers distracted. The entire thing took under a minute, but time seemed to drag on. They might be stronger together, but they were never weaker than they were in those few moments.

Once the six of them were all seated comfortably in the main cockpit, the battle resumed with full force. Mr. Feathers continued to pelt them with ribbon, and when he thought one wasn't enough, three more joined the fray.

The monster used his appendages like tentacles, constricting them around the body of the Megazord, and pulled them ever closer to its center.

Alex was growing frustrated, as was everyone else, and when she successfully snatched on of the pink snakes out of the air, a dark look overtook her features. With a smirk, she pulled on her controls, and gave the ribbon a mighty yank.

Feathers stumbled, and then crashed to the Earth. The ground shook under their feet, but the Megazord remained steady on its feet. "Ian, the sword! Get the sword!"

Ian pressed buttons furiously on his console, and after a tense moment one of the diamond shaped patches on their chest glowed to life. With the arm under her control, Alex reached for the light, and pulled back the empty hilt of their sword. It flared to life then, a shining beam of light brighter than any sun.

Mr. Feathers was just making to his feet when the blade came swinging down, catching him in the skull and sending his tall hat, and chunks of ice, flying through the air. His face froze in shock for the faintest second, and then the deep gash spread, cleaving the top half of his face away from his body.

The ice crashed the ground, shattering an old tree, and ruining on of the long flower gardens. The normal chaos enveloped them as they celebrated their victory, and by the time they were safely on the ground, nothing remained but a few giant puddles.

Their were no spectators today, perhaps because it was so chilly out, so they chose to demorph there, instead of running for cover. His friends were just happy to be out of the black goo.

Logan sauntered over to Ellie, and captured her tiny hand. "You want to ditch the guys and go out for dinner?" he asked her quietly. He couldn't have been more pleased with her happy bounce, and the big hug she wrapped him up in. "I guess that's a yes?" She nodded excitedly, still pulled up tight against his chest. "Let's get out of here then."


	26. Episode XXV ICFOS! Pt 1

**Episode XXV**

**It Came from Outer Space!**

**Part 1**

Billy woke suddenly, completely shrouded in darkness. He stayed perfectly still, listening for whatever had woke him. He heard nothing but the gentle breathing coming from Cestria's sleeping form.

He felt uneasy, even as he rolled over and tried to fall back asleep. The effort was futile, however, and after ten minutes of laying there Billy gave up. It carefully slid out of bed, cringing as his wife gave a soft groan.

He watched as Cestria simply rolled over, hardly missing his presence. Relieved, Billy proceeded to leave the room, only pausing to slip on a pair of fuzzy, if ragged, slippers and a deep blue robe.

The cool didn't bother the natives, but the ocean around them kept the room colder than he would like, especially at this time of year.

Billy wound his way through his home, a circular pod jutting off of a larger one like some strange growth. It was comfortable, if not particularly cozy. He peeked in the two other bedrooms, but the twins were fast asleep, so he moved deeper.

The living area was sparse, but they didn't frequent it very often either. The utilitarian furniture looked nearly as new as it had when they had moved in some ten odd years before.

The soft, blue tinted glow coming from the windows drew his attention, and Billy found himself drawn to the view. The eternal blue of Aquitar's massive ocean was as beautiful as it was eerie. He had lived here for almost all of his adult life, and yet it never ceased to take his breath away.

There was land here, too, but very little. Just a few volcanic islands scattered around the equator. The hub that they had chosen was one of the more advanced areas, where he could work on his passions, creating new and fantastic things for the galaxy.

Thinking about his lab, Billy wandered away from the window and moved toward the front door. He was just reaching for the lock when a heavy scraping noise interrupted the quiet.

**o.O.o**

Six shadowy figures lined the dark, deserted hallway. Two at either end stood as lookouts, while the other two struggled with the heavy device.

"Pick it up!" Said growled at his help, irritated that he had been stuck with Rio.

Rio gave him a lazy glare, "Its fine. There's no one around."

"You're going to wake everyone up!" he returned hatefully.

"Oh my gods," Cadence huffed, abandoning her post to come up behind him. "You're _both _going to get us caught! And I don't have time to be taking out an entire squad of fish faces."

With that, she shoved Rio out of the way, and lifted his side of the crate. The strain was clear in her face, but she wasn't about to complain either. Following her lead, Said hefted his own half, and continued the slow shuffle.

Their ship was anchored on one of the upper decks, and, although the cloaking was impressive, that wouldn't stop anyone from walking into it. Unfortunately their intel hadn't been completely accurate, and the deck they had chosen was considerably farther from the lab than they would have liked.

Still, they were almost clear, just a few more turns and a loading ramp to navigate and they would be home free.

What they weren't counting on was the door near the end of the hallway popping open suddenly.

Cadence summed it up perfectly. "_Shit."_

**o.O.o**

Billy wasn't sure what he had expected to find on the other side of the door, but it wasn't _this._

The six figures had frozen, staring at him with wide eyes. He didn't recognize them, but they were all very clearly human, and young ones too. Judging from the dark clothing and the crate they were hauling through the complex, they weren't here for a friendly visit, either.

"What are you doing?" he asked, putting on his best dad voice. He'd had a lot of practice at that over the years.

"Uh," one of the boys answered. He was the only one that didn't seem to be doing anything. He might have been the one calling the shots, but he didn't seem like the leader type. "We're borrowing this?"

"Oh, shut up, Rio. Just shoot him already!" the girl closest to him ordered. Her wild, two-toned Mohawk swayed slightly as she jerked her head around to glare at him.

"We don't have time for this!" other boy said angrily.

The other three were still scattered around. A tiny girl with a massive frizz of hair was quietly banging her head against the wall, while a boy with a red streak through his bangs was peering around the corner.

"Someone else is coming!" that one called. "We have to move out."

Billy was distracted by this news, long enough to let his guard down. He didn't even see the last boy coming until his hands were on him.

"Sorry about this," he told him, pressing his fingers into his neck and sending the world into nothingness.

**o.O.o**

"Well, fuck_,_ I could have done _that," _Rio groaned, pulling his blaster from the holster at his hip. "Should I shoot him now?"

"Like hell you could've," Derrick laughed, kicking the man's still form. "You probably would have knocked him out _permanently."_

"Well," he returned with a lazy shrug, "Cadence did say to _shoot _him."

"Hey!" the girl in question replied angrily, but before she got the chance to say anything else, Marvel cut her off.

The young man shoved her hard enough to make her stumble. "We have to _go!"_ he hissed angrily, grasping the corner of the box. "Lucy!"

The other girl bounded over to them quickly. "You all really do talk too much," she told them as she flipped her curly curtain of hair out of her face.

"Not now," Marvel reprimanded her. "Go."

Everyone else joined in, and although they had lost most of their stealth, they managed to get the crate onto the ship.

The cavalry arrived just a few breaths after the hatch sealed. The cabin was still busy pressurizing when the shots started.

"Someone man the canons!" Marvel shouted over the deafening noise as he strapped himself into the Captain's seat.

"On it!" Lucy returned, skidding around her crewmates to take the position.

Everyone else scrambled. Said, Derrick, and Cadence climbed to the top deck, where they could use their own weapons, leaving him with Rio.

He pulled himself on top of the crate, leaning back on his palms, content to watch the battle unfold.

"Are you going to do anything?" Marvel asked, shooting him a glance over his shoulder.

"Oh," he started, looking around dumbly. "Should I?"

Marvel growled under his breath, before answering with, "I don't know, Rio. Maybe you should go have a nap while the rest of us try to escape?"

He seemed to think this over for a few breaths before he realized what was going on. "Uh, I guess I could put this box somewhere safer."

"Sure," Marvel shrugged. "Just do _something._"

With that he turned back to the sprawling ocean ahead of them. He triple checked the myriad of gauges at his fingertips. The ship was ready to fly.

With the press of a button, he turned on the atmosphere for the upper deck. The thin cloud of air would keep his crew from suffocating, but it wouldn't block out very much of the radiation. Still, they knew the drill, and he wasn't concerned.

With all of his thrusters engaged, Marvel spun the massive wheel, and watched with child-like delight as the bright red hull slipped out of the water and into the air.

**o.O.o**

Billy woke up just a handful of minutes after he had hit the floor, but it felt like hours or days had passed. His quick mind was dulled, his movements sluggish, and nothing made much sense.

His body was propped up, and Billy looked up to find his wife's concerned face. "Are you okay, Billy?" she asked him with her bubbly voice, head tilted to the side as she searched his face for clues.

"Yes," he told her, his voice coming out as little more than a hoarse whisper. "I believe I was attacked."

"Someone broke into your lab," Cestria returned, matter-of-factly. "The guards aren't sure if they took anything."

"Did they escape?" he wondered aloud. Billy wracked his mind, trying to piece his jumbled memories back together.

"Yes," she returned. "We are trying to track them, as we speak."

"Help me up," he decided quickly. "I need to go see the lab."

Cestria didn't argue with him, helping him to his shaky feet, and leading him down the hall. They waded through the crowd of inhabitants that had gathered there.

Some of them were working, sifting through the room in search of evidence, but many were standing in the way, gathering gossip.

"Excuse me," he said roughly as he pressed through the crowd. The Aquitians weren't the politest of creatures he had come across, but old habits die hard.

Billy didn't have to go far before he knew what had happened. A clear spot in the floor keyed him in, but he would have been hard pressed to not to miss the teleport unit.

It was a smaller version of the one he had once used back on his home planet. A prototype meant to mimic the vast powers of that vast device.

He was still working out bugs, and he hadn't told anyone about it, except for his family and the team that helped him in the laboratory.

Someone had to have let it slip to the wrong person though, and now a precious, and potentially dangerous, piece of equipment had been taken. He knew the dangers when he had started the project, but he had hoped that he could contain it.

Unfortunately, fate had drawn his hand for him. With a sour expression, Billy knew he would have to find, and possibly destroy, his device.

"Cestria, go wake the children," he told her suddenly. "I need to contact Delphine." He knew Delphine would want them to listen in on the discussion, and he wouldn't be able to argue with her, not if he wanted her help.

Cestria nodded slowly, a rare glimmer of concern marring her features. She raised a hand to let her fingers dance over his face. "Are you leaving?" she asked softly.

"I don't know," he told her, gentle swaddling her hand in his own. "Perhaps."

She nodded again, stealing back her hand, "Very well, I shall go get them."

Billy ached to cause her any pain, but he didn't have much of a choice in the matter. Steeling himself for what was liable to be a very upsetting few days, Billy stepped out of the room to make the call.


	27. Episode XXVI ICFOS! Pt 2

**Episode XXVI**

**It Came from Outer Space!**

**Part 2**

It was just another day in Angel Grove, blistering heat, unyielding sun, and not a cloud in the spotless blue sky. Cain was holed up in the Batcave, as he often was, avoiding the warmth with the cool underground chamber, and the blasting AC just to be sure. Aside from Alpha 8, who was meandering about the large room dusting equipment in a flowery yellow and lilac apron, he was all alone.

Cain followed his usual routine, checking the many cameras for suspicious activity before scanning their systems for bugs. He then moved quickly onto the cluster of satellites at their disposal, as well as the dozen or so he had hacked into through his connections with NASADA.

As he watched the data speed by, a strange blip caught his eye. Targeting the radar that had picked up the object, Cain studied it closely. He quickly ruled out things like other satellites or ships, nothing was supposed to be in that spot in space, and certainly nothing moving quite as fast as this one was.

He watched the blip as it traveled across the cluster of circles, moving ever nearer to the planet. He didn't know what was causing the phenomenon, but it was clearly large and made of some sort of metal.

The blip flickered as it reached the lower reaches of the thermosphere, and then it mysteriously vanished. Instantly he knew that the craft, for this could not be a naturally occurring body, had switched on some sort of cloaking device.

Invisible to his military grade scanners, Cain was at a loss, but only for the moment.

"Alpha!" he barked, startling the robot so bad he sent his feather duster flying. "Can you sweep the Morphing Grid? There's an unidentified object in Quarter 3, Sector 10."

"Yes, yes," Alpha muttered as he work his magic. "Ai-yi-yi."

"What is it?" Cain asked impatiently.

"Aquitian," he answered, clearly stunned. "Its an Aquitian scout ship."

"Aquitian?" he repeated. "What are they doing anywhere near here? And a scout ship? In Earth's atmosphere?"

"They must be landing!" Alpha decided.

Cain scowled at the blank radar, watching for the ship to reappear. "Something about this doesn't feel right," he muttered. "It doesn't make any sense."

He was just about to call down his colleagues when the overhead alarm blared to life. The red light flashed, blinding him for a breath. Undeterred, Cain slid his chair across the slick floor towards the main screen. The large monitor in the center showed the outlying desert, where the disturbance had been recorded. The high, slanted angle of the camera usually looked out over the barren wasteland of rocks and sand, but today a hulking, shining spacecraft had blotted out most of the view.

The ship, which had to be the same one he had been watching previously, was slick and streamlined. The smooth surface was silvery blue in color, and with its dorsal fin, looked a bit like a fish.

The Aquitian ship opened suddenly, the hull splitting near the front like a mouth. A roiling coat of fog funneled out of the open ramp, and, though the footage was silent, he could almost hear the hiss of the pressurized air escaping.

The being that stepped from the craft was far different than he was expecting. He was clad in a slate blue pressure suit, with thin gloves and softly soled boots, but he had no helmet.

His human face marked him as one of this world. He was a bit short, and had just a hint of weight around his midsection. His short hair was balding badly, and the color had gone a silvery gray along the edges. Perched on his nose were a pair of wire rimmed glasses with thick lenses, and to finish his look, he wore a terrible mask of loss.

The ruins of the old Command Center, where Zordon had once lived, and now, where the camera was hung, greeted this traveler harshly. The man turned to face the others now spilled out onto the sand, crumpled and speechless.

**o.O.o**

"Its gone," the man managed sadly to his companions. He had known it was very likely, given the circumstances of the past, but it was painful to actually look upon.

Years and years ago this had been a second home to him, but Zordon was gone, and he, as well as his teammates, had grown up.

Billy hadn't kept in touch, it was too hard and everyone was too busy. This was supposed to be his triumphant return, his first visit in over fifteen years. He couldn't even be sure everyone was still alive, let alone anywhere nearby.

_What were they up to? Who did they end up with? Did they have any kids? _So many questions rattled his brain, forcing him to sigh.

From behind him his new team had fully appeared. Unlike Earth, where rangers were typically young, inexperienced, and only gave up a year or so of their lives, the Aquitions were completely different. They trained for years to become rangers, and once they did they were in it for the majority of their adulthood.

They lived far longer than humans did as well, and although he was tiring, his teammates seemed to never need to stop. They had, however, started training a younger set to take their places one day.

On this mission, the five of them had joined him, as well as his twins, Stellan and Cittali. The twins were by his side almost instantly. Stellan was smart, much like his parents, and he was fascinated by anything and everything to do with the Earth, especially his own human ancestry. Cittali, on the other hand, could care less about such things. She only wanted to be a hero, and her mature, no nonsense attitude suited the team well.

Delphine, especially, had a special love for her, taking the girl under her wing and shaping her for leadership, while her brother found his time mostly revolving around different experiments in Cestro's lab.

Billy scratched his scalp, trying to formulate a plan. He had a basic idea, he knew there were rangers on the planet, they were always getting strange bursts of magic or dark energy whenever he turned his instruments to his home world.

A quick pang of sadness dashed through him as his thoughts turned to his former home, and his father, now probably gone. He hadn't been a healthy man in his later years, and being an older parent to a child that then abandoned you without much of an explanation could not have been good for his health.

If there was anything he regretted about his life, it was doing that to the one person that had always been there for him. Dwelling on the past would not get him moving, nor would it bring back the hardware recently stolen from his own lab.

"Where to, Dad?" Stellan asked. The boy was young, only twelve in human years, but his intellect was so impressive it was hard to remember that from time to time. Somehow his youth seemed to sting for the moment, a painful glimpse at a time gone by.

Billy sighed again, "I suppose we go into town. See what we can find."

The twins were passably human, only their eye ridges marked them as different, but the others were too noticeable for stealth. He'd engineered a glamour device for such a purpose, it distorted others perceptions unless they were told directly, muddling the brain into thinking they were just seeing everyday people without causing any discomfort or disorientation. But they wouldn't need it for this trip.

The pack of them unloaded his antique Volkswagen, now stripped of its antennas and other odd instruments. He had repainted it, too, getting rid of the dusty silver color and replacing it with a dark, classic blue.

He climbed behind the wheel, and let the twins squabble over the front seat. His other team members had decided to stay with the ship momentarily, which was just fine by him.

The little town had certainly grown since he'd been away, but he found that the roads came back to him like old friends, directing him past the buildings of his childhood. Billy made sure to point out everything he could. The high school he had attended, the park where they had played and battled, the neighborhood he had roamed, and finally the home he had once called his own.

The kids remained quiet as he pulled the car to the curb. A choking sob forced its way out as he stared at the lot. The old tree in the yard was gone, and the garage door had been replaced. Worst of all, although he could not explain why, was the color of the house. Once a pale blue, now the house was a light yellow. It wasn't a bad color, in fact from an objective point of view, the house looked happier.

At his side Stellan clamped a hand to his shoulder, and Citali had lowered her eyes to look at her shoes. His friends would have been less sympathetic, but their culture didn't like to focus on the past, they were all about future advancements.

Billy screwed his eyes shut, took a deep breath, and forced his hands to steady. "I apologize," he told them, although his voice came out broken and weak. "Who's hungry?" he asked his children, this time with a bit more pep.

"Do we get to eat Earth food?" Stellan asked excitedly. "I want a milkshake!"

"Ugh," Citali groaned. "What if we don't like it?"

He chuckled softly, "I'm sure you'll find something you'll like. And if not we have plenty of provisions let on the ship."

Satisfied for the moment, he eased the car back onto the street, circling the neighborhood until he was back to the main road. He found the Juice Bar easily enough, even though he looked at it three times before it was the same place.

He was a bit wary, since the building had been repainted and renamed, but his stomach was sure to protest if he searched for another place to eat, and he couldn't pass up the opportunity to go inside.

The parking lot of Confetti's was fairly empty, but when he glanced at the clock the reason became clear. A little after two in the afternoon, all of the children in town were probably holed up at school.

His old vehicle stood out more than he had expected. All of the cars around them were shiny and sleek, streamlined and oddly similar. And the monstrous beasts that mingled among them were like the offspring of a minivan and small truck. He felt as though he had pulled up in a brand new Model T.

Nevertheless, the three of them clambered out of the car and head for the door. The glass stated 'Confetti's' proudly in a bold font with scattered bits of color spread around the word.

Billy turned the name over in his head, but before he could make a decision, he noticed the bar hours printed along side the regular business hours. Slightly confused, he pulled the door open and ushered the children inside, eager to see what else had changed.

The wide back end of the man behind the counter wasn't surprising, nor was the bright purple printed shirt, but when the man reared up, Billy was taken aback.

"Bulk?" he asked before his brain could fully comprehend what he was witnessing.

Bulk eyed him for a moment before recognition dawned on him. "Billy? What are you doing in town? I haven't seen you in ages."

"I-I've been out of town. Went to school, got married, nothing too unusual," he rambled, a bit too fast for his liking, but hopefully not suspiciously so. "These are my children, Citali and Stellan."

Bulk raised an eyebrow, "You know, I was pretty surprised when they didn't enlist you on the Terra Venture trip a few years back. Even I got to go, and, well, look at me! I'm no genius."

"You got to go on Terra Venture?" he asked, astonished. Not wanting to seem rude, he quickly covered with, "I imagine that was quite a mesmerizing experience, getting to space travel and all."

"Oh yeah," Bulk agreed with a nod. "That planet though, Mirinoi, it was way too hot for me. I hopped the first wormhole back, but it was quite a year, that's for sure."

"So how have you been? Do you own this place now?" Billy asked, ignoring the eye rolls of his daughter. Stellan was busily eyeing the arcade machines, and Billy was glad at least something had stayed the same.

Bulk nodded again, "Working it off, yeah, but Kim put my name on the deed. She's the one that lined up the sale and everything. This place has been pretty sad since Ernie passed, you know?"

"I've been away too long," he sighed. "Everything has changed. Its been fifteen years, and the list of people that aren't here anymore just keeps growing."

"Are you meeting up with your friends? Kim hasn't said anything, but its been a few days since I went over for dinner," he said, as if that was the most normal thing in the world. "I'm sure the kids would be excited."

"Unfortunately we're just popping in for a short visit. And I haven't talked to the gang in forever, I don't know a thing about them anymore."

Bulk screwed up his face in thought. "Just go sit, I'll take care of it. What do you want to eat? On the house of course."

The kids ate quickly, sucking down their strawberry milkshakes and devouring their cheeseburgers greedily before excusing themselves to search the building for things to do. Even Citali got excited by the video games once she got introduced.

Bulk talked with him a bit more, letting Billy bounce some of his questions off of him. After awhile they drifted apart, and his first visitor appeared.

Kim, in her pink dress suit, looked so professional, aside from her running makeup as she flung herself at him, uncontrollable tears pouring from her eyes. "Oh my gosh, Billy. Why didn't you call?" she chastised him.

More introductions followed as the pair got reacquainted. When Trixie sauntered over he was blown away. "You know, Bulk told me about your marriage, but she's living proof, isn't she?"

Kim smiled, "If you think that's bad, wait until Spike gets here. He's a clone."

More of his friends trickled in after that, presumably when they got off of work. Trini and Zack hugged him tightly, though not quite as wetly as Kimberly had, Jason had grabbed him in a manly one armed hug, while Rocky merely gave him a friendly punch to the arm, and Adam, whose hands were full of squirming children, settled for a half-shouted hello.

"Tommy sends his best," Kat assured him, grasping his hand tightly in hers. "He teaches at Reefside, so he won't be home for a while longer, but he wishes he could be here."

It was like a massive family reunion. The cluster of children had all but disappeared, and the adults were left to chat, reminisce, and share a few tears. It was starting to get late, they'd spent almost three hours just hanging out, and the others were starting to worry about their teenagers. Dozens of people had come in and out as they sat there, but the six were still no where to be found.

"Where is he?" Kim asked for the fifth time, checking the time on her fancy cell phone. "He won't answer his phone!"

"Calm down, Kim, I'm sure they're fine," Trini assured her with a small squeeze of the hand, but her eyes had tense lines starting to form around them. Jason and Zack didn't seem to have a care in the world, but the other men weren't quite so content. Adam at least, seemed to be holding himself together, Rocky, however, seemed close to hysterics.

"Was there a monster attack? What if they're trapped somewhere? Or captured?" he asked the crowd as he paced back and forth.

"They would have been on the news, you know the rangers are always a big hit," Zack reminded them with a wave of his hand. "Too bad you all have the kiddos, we could head out to eat and then come back out for some drinks later."

The talk of rangers and monsters reminded Billy of his real reasons for being here, and he suddenly had the urge to get up and do something, no matter how fun it had been to catch up.

He made to get up, but his actions were quickly stalled as Kim's phone began to ring.

**o.O.o**

"Felix Warren Skullovitch! _Where have you been?_" his mother's voice echoed out of his phone.

"I-" he started, but he was quickly cut off by her rant.

"I've been worried sick! You were supposed to be here hours ago! I told you Billy was is town and wanted to meet you all!"

"I'm sorry, Mom, really," he managed before she tore into him again. "We just got hung up talking…"

"I don't care! You should have answered your phone."

Spike gulped. "I know, I'm sorry," he told her again.

"You had better be," she warned. "Next time, I will send your father out to find you."

Terrible visions of flashing blue lights and sirens filled his head. "It won't happen again."

"Good." Finished with her threats, Kimberly switched her tone to something a bit more pleasant. "Now, Billy has to go, so we're heading home."

"Okay, okay. Is it okay if we go get something to eat? We'll be home right after, I promise," he pleaded with her, hoping he still had a few brownie points stashed somewhere.

"I suppose," she answered coolly. "Be home by ten, it's a school night."

"Yes, ma'am."

When the phone cut off, Spike sighed in relief. "I'm good!" he shouted back at the others. They had scattered through the house to pass along their own phone calls.

Alex returned his affirmative with a thumbs up as she said her goodbyes, and Jaime looked a bit guilty but he hadn't gotten in trouble. Ian and Logan got off easy, they had just text their dads and all was well.

No one had it as bad as Ellie, who looked close to tears as she assured her father she hadn't died. "I'll be home soon. I love you too, Daddy," she said into her gemstone encrusted device. "Bye."

The pink ranger dainty dotted at her eyes. "Its okay," she assured them. "He was starting to panic. Mom must not have been there with him."

"So we're all settled?" Alex asked, falling into leader mode. "Then lets suit up. We've got a kidnapping to pull off."


	28. Episode XXVII ICFOS! Pt 3

**A.N. LilMissFerret here! Sorry for the delay everyone! I've just not been in the writing mood lately. Anyway, here's part three, and there's at least another part (probably two, I'm guessing) left of this crossover. I do hope everyone is enjoying it!**

* * *

**Episode XXVII**

**It Came from Outer Space!**

**Part 3**

Billy stood outside of Confetti's, waving his friends goodbye as they headed back to their homes, the wild pack of children had thinned down to his own two. Stellan and Citali both looked worn out. It had been a hard day on all of them, and although he had not made any progress on his mission, he did feel more content.

The agony of his return had dulled, and although he had promised to keep in touch, he had a lingering feeling that it wouldn't ever really happen. He might think about them every now and then, but he would never actually make that call.

Maybe in another fifteen years he'd come back, just to see what had changed and what hadn't, or maybe he wouldn't. He led a happy, productive life on Aquitar, and it wasn't until the decision to join up with the Earth rangers had been made that he had even started to feel homesick.

He gave his children a sad smile. "Come on, you two, lets get back to the ship and get some rest."

The twins didn't protest, they were far too exhausted to do anything more than nod. The ride back to the ship was quiet as the children faded off into a restless sleep, but he was happy to find that the old radio still worked.

The music, like everything else, had changed dramatically, and he spent a few moments searching for the Oldies channel, which now played songs from his youth.

The ship was dark when they arrived, the sun beginning to set, and the rubble of the Command Center faded into the surrounding rocks. He parked in the shade of the ship, and then went to unload his cargo. He took Stellan first, as he was lighter than his sister, although it wouldn't be long before he hit his next growth spurt and surpassed her.

Citali was a bit more stubborn, groaning loudly as he scooped her up. His back complained, but he just shook his head, amused. Once the pair were all settled, and he had checked in with the others on board, he slipped back outside to gather his thoughts.

**o.O.o**

"What are we going to do, Alex?" Ellie asked, rubbing her hands together. The night had settled over the desert like a blanket, snuffing out the day's heat and turning the air almost frigid.

"I don't know," she answered, peeking over her rock to check on their supposed victim. "He's just sitting there."

"Maybe we should just go talk to him," Jaime suggested.

Ian laughed, earning him a group glare. Alex smacked him upside the helmet. "Shut up, you idiot. You're going to give us away!"

"Well, I don't know why we're sneaking around in the dirt anyway. This guy used to be a ranger, you know. Hell, he's still kind of a ranger and he's _old," _he reminded them huffily.

"What if he finds out who we are?" Spike asked, his whisper coming out much louder than he obviously meant it to as he slapped his gloved hand over his mouth plate. The smack reverberated off of the stones, echoing across the desert.

Everybody tensed, hunkering down further. They stayed like that for several tense seconds, but nothing seemed to happen.

"You are all terrible at stealth. Fucking terrible," Alex muttered, standing up and dusting off her green skirt. She glanced up when she was done, "Well? Are you guys going to come or what?"

Alex turned on her heel, no longer trying to be quiet as she made a beeline for the older man perched on his car hood. The others clambered to their feet, struggling to catch up to their leader.

They came to a stop about twenty feet from the hulking mass of the space ship, fanning out on either side of Alex. They all tended to strike a pose when they found themselves in this kind of predicament, although it was usually a monster they were facing and not some random dude their parents went to high school with.

"William Cranston!" Alex shouted, deepening her voice. "We," she told him, gesturing to the others on either side of her, "are the Vendian Rangers, and we have come to greet you."

After being shouted at, Billy had slid off of the car and turned to face them. He didn't seem as old as he was. Still strong and brilliant, he seemed to stand over them, reminding them all that they were really just a bunch of kids beneath their suits.

Billy watched them closely for a moment while they waited on him to speak. He studied their suits, but he seemed especially interested in the smooth lines of their helmets.

Self-conscious, many of the teens looked down at their own suits, but nothing caught their eyes. The suits were shaded in the night, while the nearly full moon cast a shiny glow over them. Jaime looked the most spectacular with his black suit, because the shiny silver details of his stripes almost shimmered.

What ever study Billy had been conducting must have bore fruit. One second he was scrutinizing them, and the next he was laughing. "You must be the kids," he told them.

The rangers looked around at their fellows, confused and just a little bit amazed. "How did you _know?!" _Spike squawked, breaking the awkward silence.

Biting her lip, Alex pressed a few keys on her wrist morpher, effectively dropping her suit. She couldn't see there faces, but she knew the others were gawking at her under their helmets.

"What?" she asked them. "He already knows who we are!"

One by one the others did the same, dazzling her with their faint spark of color as they demorphed.

Billy hung back from them, although he still looked amused. No matter, Ellie bounded straight up to him, a sheepish look on her face, "We're sorry we missed everyone earlier."

"No worries," he assured her. "So, what can I do for you all?"

"We picked up your signal earlier, when your ship landed," Jaime started. "Our mentors sent us to, uh, invite you back to Earth."

"And to see if you needed anything," Ellie added with a bright smile.

While the five of them talked, none of them happened to see Logan and Ian slip off to the side to poke at the ship.

"Look at this thing!" Ian said with a whistle of appreciation. "Its huge!"

Logan poked the hull gingerly, "Its still hot too."

About that time the hatch opened with a loud hiss, scaring them both. In their backward scramble, both boy fell, landing heavily in the sand.

They found their feet just as a slender pair of legs came into view. They stared as the woman stepped off the ship, the light behind her giving here an ethereal glow.

"She's _hot,"_ Ian muttered under his breath, and Logan had to agree, if it wasn't for the exposed brains.

Clad in a tight white outfit, Delphine approached them. "Hello, Earthlings," she greeted, her voice bubbling through the air as if she had been underwater. "I am Delphine, leader of the Aquitian Rangers."

"Um, hi," Ian managed, despite his unhinged jaw. Logan settled for a nod of acknowledgment.

Delphine watched them strangely for a moment, head cocked to the side. Whatever it was that she wanted to question, she seemed to think better of it, and instead turned to the others still clustered around the car.

**o.O.o**

After an hour and a half of discussion, the rangers had made their way home. Although they had made a handful of new allies, they were half-starved and exhausted by the time they crawled into bed. They all had to get up early too, if they were going to be able to get to school.

Sure enough, the sun hadn't even started to rise when they were all on their way to the Big House, and they were all dragging.

"Can't we just skip today?" Ian groaned dramatically as he slumped onto one of the couches in the living room.

"That looks suspicious," Ana answered him as she handed out muffins. "Especially if you all just disappear."

She didn't look any better than they did, with her hair pulled up in a messy knot that looked as though she had slept in the ponytail, and her wrinkled, holey pajamas hanging loosely from her frame.

She hadn't even made the muffins they were eating. They were simply leftovers from the day before.

"But-"

"Oh, get over yourself, Ian," Alex growled, cutting him off. "We're all fucking tired."

To prove her point, Ellie let out a tiny snore. The pink ranger had promptly curled herself on Logan's lap, buried her face in his chest, and nodded off. To his credit, Logan had wrapped an arm around her, joined her for a nap.

The others weren't much better. Spike had taken one of the offered muffins, and proceeded to eat it with his free arm over his eyes, and his head flung back on the cushions.

Jaime scrubbed at his tired eyes, and said irritably, "You're giving me a headache."

Alex rolled her eyes, and turned to Ana, "Where is everyone else anyway?"

The woman shrugged, taking a bite out of one of her own muffins, "Asleep, I suppose. They be in soon, I'm sure."

**o.O.o**

In fact, they waited another twenty minutes before Billy and the alien rangers appeared, and the rest of their mentors, minus Tony who was off in Tahiti, came shuffling in.

Cain was the only one that looked half decent. But then, they were half sure he was actually some sort of angry robot. Or vampire.

Either way he led them down to the Batcave in irritated silence, as if he were unhappy about the strangers entering his sacred space.

"This is your base?" Delphine asked, taking in the space, before turning to her pair of scientists. "Will this do?"

Cestro continued in his deep, bubbly voice, "It is... Interesting?"

"Very," Billy agreed, as he went to their mostly empty work table. He hardly looked up as he began unpacking the bag he had brought with them. "Earthly technology has evolved quite a bit since the early nineties."

"Still no flying cars though," Spike lamented. "Or hoverboards."

The young blue ranger could feel eyes on him, and looked up questioningly. "What? Have you never seen _Back to the Future_?"

"Flying automobiles are not so complicated," Billy interjected. "I built the RadBug when I was about your age."

"You have a flying car?" Jaime inquired.

"That's sweet!" Ian cut in before Billy could respond. "I want to fly it!"

The older man gave him a look, but didn't say anything. He merely reached into his bag for a wrench, and started putting his equipment together.

"Okay, so its four o'clock in the morning," Dinah started, ending that discussion with a sharp look around the room, "This had _better_ be good."

The Aquitians didn't waste any time. Billy went into a tirade about the thieves that had broken into his lab, and his plan to get back his stolen equipment.

"Wait… So, you're telling me they flew out of there in a pirate ship?" Dinah asked skeptically.

"It was a galley," Billy repeated, as if that cleared up the confusion. "I have only ever seen them used as flag ships for the Armada."

"That can't be very aerodynamical, can it?" Del asked over his coffee.

Cain huffed from his desk chair, "There are work arounds."

Billy continued to put together his device, letting team mingle. If you could call his team huddling in a corner mingling. Cestro was the only one making any effort, and he was hurriedly conversing with the current Alpha unit in his native tongue.

"So, what does this do?" Spike asked, gesturing to the misshapen object.

"It will detect magic traces. Hopefully, we can use it to locate the pirates," he answered. Kim had been right, Spike did look like Skull's clone.

"And you're sure they came here?" Alex asked disbelievingly. "Why would they?"

Billy shrugged, "Their trajectory pointed in this direction. And this is the only occupied star system in 100 light years."

It was increasingly strange to be around the kids. They were similar enough to their parents to draw his memories of the past to the surface, but unique in their own ways. Even Jaime, who had to be the closest copy of his father, had his differences.

He continued to mull this over as he connected his tracker to the Grid, and set it to work. Now, there was nothing to do but wait.

**o.O.o**

Without its companions, the giant red ship looked out of place. It wasn't sleek or particularly graceful, but it was the only home they had.

They were nearing their destination now, a pale blue dot that was growing ever larger in front of them.

Like the ship, there was nothing spectacular about the planet, it was like so many others they had come across in their line of work. The difference wasn't something you could see from space, but this was another sort of home. The birthplace of their entire species.

"This is it? Seriously?" Lucy scoffed as she peered through one of the thick, circular windows in the hull. The delicate traces of brown and green were beginning to take shape beneath a thick blanket of clouds, but they could hardly see the traces of civilization.

"I think it's beautiful," Derrick returned lightly as he wrapped his arm around her tiny frame.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Of course you do. You see beauty in _everything._"

It was supposed to be an insult, but he didn't take it that way. "Like you?"

"I'm a street rat from the outskirts of the seventh ring," she reminded him coolly. "There isn't anything special about me, Derrick, and you know it."

"If you say so," he shrugged. "Suppose we ought to get ready to land?"

The girl sighed, slipping out of his embrace. "If you say so."

The pair stepped away from the line of windows, making their way back towards the control room. When they entered, their captain was busily studying an old map. The paper was frayed at the edges, with faded ink and a nasty stain across most of the northern hemisphere.

Marvel looked up when he heard them enter. He looked displeased, but quickly masked the expression with a cheeky grin. "What have you been up to?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows.

"Taking in the sights," Derrick replied, ignoring the dig.

Lucy didn't forgive so easily. "Nothing you haven't done, I'm sure. Or maybe had done to you?" She said as she batted her pale green eyes sweetly.

Marvel went a bit pink, "Either way, I think I've found our landing spot."

"Oh, nice save," Lucy laughed.

"Lucy," Derrick said, gently grabbing her forearm. _He really is too soft for this sort of work, _she thought.

She turned gaze to meet his, and nodded slightly. A silent promise to behave, for the moment.

"So where to, Captain?" Derrick asked.

"This white bit, here," he told them, gesturing to the white mass at the bottom of his map. "Some place called Antarctica."


End file.
